Cambodia

Upon request of the NGO Concern Worldwide Kamal Kar facilitated the first CLTS trainings and pilots in Cambodia in 2004. Soon some villages were declared open defecation free. Though Concern didn’t continue to promote the approach in Cambodia, word of it spread and it was picked up by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Plan Cambodia, and UNICEF in 2006. MRD adapted Kamal Kar’s methodology to the local cultural setting, translated it into Khmer and established a CLTS ToT Unit. Since, ten more NGOs adopted the approach and implement CLTS in close cooperation with MRD: Swiss Red Cross, GRET, Lien Aid, French Red Cross, MaryKnoll, Muslim Aid, ICC, Samaritan’s Purse, CWS and World Vision.

The diversity of organisations and the impetus of MRD create a fruitful setting for a wide variety of further developments: MRD published an Informed Choice Manual for latrine construction also including a chapter on low cost latrine options.

The Ministry also promotes a social marketing approach for latrine construction in order to backup the CLTS efforts and to sustain the achievements. Most organisations apply CLTS combined with additional hygiene promotion activities and some agencies include subsidy schemes for latrine construction. Red Cross volunteers pick up the task to spread the word in their villages. A few organisations are shifting CLTS from rural areas to the urban slums. In cooperation with UNICEF a strategy to more pro-actively involve schools in the CLTS process has been employed.

And CLTS works well in Cambodia: So far CLTS has been triggered in more than 560 villages in 13 Provinces. More than 182 villages, 33 per cent, have reached ODF status. A multi-stakeholder evaluation took place in 2008 and offers deeper insights into the ways CLTS works in Cambodia (soon available on this website).

MRD remains committed to CLTS, which has the potential to accelerate the achievement of the Cambodian MDG target for rural sanitation. The Government of Cambodia is considering adopting it as its official rural sanitation approach. MRD wishes to encourage all provinces and partner agencies to consider supporting CLTS implementation.