High Risk Communication Training in Battambang, Cambodia

By Dee Bennett

July 20, 2012

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QUICK SNAPSHOT ASSESSMENT

The seven trainers come from the government of Cambodia – two from Centers for Disease Control (MoH) and three from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestries and Fisheries (MAFF), and two from, Cambodia Red Cross. They are overall experienced trainers. One person from MAFF actually worked with AI-BCC early on in Cambodia. For this training the master training was conducted in Phnom Penh by Cecilia Lantican, country coordinator, Lao PDR, MID-BCC. The first two workshops Noi Xaymounvong, a member of our technical staff in Lao observed the first two trainings.

The trainers said they felt more confident in their training with each event. And, they feel that they have grown with each one. You can see it in they way they conduct the sessions and also in their ownership of the meeting.

My worry of any training is too much lecturing and not enough interaction or involvement by the participants because you don't learn when you are bored or not engaged. It is easy even for the best and most interactive training for boredom to set in. It is very Western to want everyone to participate...not so much in other countries. There is participation late morning....I think it needs to move up earlier and recommended moving one of the afternoon activities early in the morning to hear from the participants early.

There is lots of on the ground experience in this room and we should take advantage of it.

In the end, we want to help them do their job.

For the American People

USG is very explicit.

They are the stewards of US taxpayers money and they want quality products and services for bargain basement prices.

Their name is on it: USAID and in the case of USAID they note that it is "From the American People."

American People don't want to pay for junk. They also don't want to break the bank.

Finding that balance makes us all into great bargainers and also discerners of good products that USAID and USG can be pleased to say it is From the American People.

This concept is a work in progress.

What Next

In our debrief I asked the trainers what do they want....

1. The training extended to all 24 provinces.

   We can ask, but if depends on funding and focus. I'm willing to raise it

2. Refresher training.

   That one's easy....Berengere deNegri will be in Cambodia for the next training and she will also conduct a refresher training for the trainers at the end of the training.

3. One Health and Multi-sectoral is convening under ad hoc communication committee.

   This is less of a question but a heads up – communication is now part of an ad hoc committee that in two years will become a permanent committee. Having these skills and experience is a benefit for Cambodia and contributes to One Health

Helmets

A law has been passed in Cambodia that scooter drivers must wear a helmet. I saw police pull over a young women on a scooter who did not have on a helmet....her expression was classic. She knew she had been caught.

Problem with the law is that it does not spread to the passengers on the scooters. So you can see a family of four on a scooter and the driver wearing the helmet.

Great policy – like to see it extend to passengers too.

MID-BCC project is funded by USAID/RDMA.

Photos by Dee Bennett and Trudy-Ann Farnum 2012 | FHI 360

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