In Cambodia, Organizations Get Closer to Achieving their Missions

Borey Koy, executive director of MediaOne (Photo: MediaOne)

With robust training, a Cambodian NGO is transformed into a leader

Cambodia has struggled for political stability for 50 years, and in that context, the free flow of information and the ability to have your voice heard is critically important. Media for Education and Development in Action is a non-partisan, independent Cambodian organization that empowers communities by giving a voice to underrepresented people works to ensure that all Cambodians have equal access to information.

Cambodia continues to develop’the poverty rate is steadily declining’but the country still faces challenges and NGOs such as MEDIA One, as it is known, play a critical role in advancing Cambodia’s human, economic and overall development.

MEDIA One is exactly the kind of local organization that USAID seeks to partner with on development projects, and MEDIA One has been eager to design and lead activities that directly contribute to its own mission.

But first, the organization needed to develop a better understanding of good financial management and oversight to meet the agency’s regulations for managing and implementing programs.

‘As a small local NGO, there has traditionally been little opportunity for our staff receive training,’ said Michelle Williams, a program advisor at MEDIA One.


“We now feel better prepared to implement our exciting new program.”


MEDIA One connected with the Capacity Building of Cambodia’s Local Organizations (CBCLO) Program, whose goal is to strengthen the skills of local organizations to preprare them to partner with USAID and to work more effectively in service of their missions.

Over the past two years, staff members at MEDIA One have attended 15 training sessions and received 22 additional hours of technical assistance from the program on a variety of topics.

‘The program provides assistance to our senior management team and helps us to improve our policies and regulations,’ said Executive Director Borey Koy.

With new skills and processes in place, MEDIA One operates more effectively and is better able to navigate the USAID’s challenging regulatory environment.

‘Our organization recently received its first direct funding from USAID,’ Williams said, ‘and we now feel better prepared to implement our exciting new program.’

 


CBCLO helps Cambodian nonprofit and non-governmental organizations strengthen their management capacity and understanding of USAID rules and regulations. Since the program began in 2014, it has provided assistance to several hundred NGOs in Cambodia.

This story is made possible with the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of IESC and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

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