China-aided poverty alleviation project brings changes to Cambodian village

BATI, Cambodia — Once a poor, isolated and quiet village in Cambodia's remote area, Tanorn has now become a modern one with well-established basic physical infrastructure thanks to a China-aided poverty alleviation project.

Located in Takeo Province's Bati district, about 60 kilometers south of the capital Phnom Penh, the tiny village of Tanorn has a total area of 72 hectares and is currently home to 132 households with more than 600 people.

It has experienced enormous changes since January 2021 when the Cambodia-China Friendship Village for Poverty Alleviation Project was launched.

The project has been carried out by the Cambodian Civil Society Alliance Forum, or CSAF, with funds from the China Foundation for Peace and Development, or CFPD.

The CSAF's Chairman Kemreat Viseth said the project is a pilot that shows the generous hearts of Chinese people in helping alleviate poverty in Cambodia's rural areas.

"The contributions from the government and people of China to Cambodia's development and poverty alleviation are tremendous," he told Xinhua after the inauguration ceremony of the Cambodia-China Friendship Multipurpose Building in the village on Sunday.

"This project has contributed to improving the villagers' livelihoods significantly," he said.

Viseth said under the project, concrete roads, clean water systems, solar power, drainage systems for flood prevention, and essential public facilities have been developed.

"Overall, this project has been fully supported by local residents because it has greatly changed an infrastructure landscape in the village, and people feel very convenient to travel in and out of the village," he said.

Tanorn village chief Pang Samedy said the village had previously no paved roads, sufficient clean water, electricity and school, but now it has all of them.

"So, this project has greatly benefited local residents," he said.

"I would like to thank the people and government of China for helping develop Tanorn village, and the villagers are currently reaping the benefit of this developmental assistance," Samedy said.

Basic infrastructure

Por Sokhim, a 49-year-old villager, said the project has transformed the poor village into a modern one with proper basic physical infrastructure such as roads, clean water and solar power, among others.

"The project has brought a lot of changes to my village. Now, we have concrete roads, canals, and solar power that beautifully lights up the village at night," she said.

Sokhim said currently she is running a grocery store as her husband owns a motorcycle repair shop at their home along a nice concrete road in the village.

"All villagers and I have benefited a lot from this project," she said.

Khlok Chamroeun, a 61-year-old villager, said before the launch of the project, the villagers' living conditions were rather difficult because there were no roads, irrigation system and electricity.

"But now, this China-aided poverty alleviation project has remarkably changed our village's landscape, developing roads, clean water system, solar power, canals and a multipurpose building," he said. "Our current living conditions have improved, as we all have lived decently."

Chamroeun added the villagers are very pleased that China has helped develop Tanorn village as a model for poverty alleviation in the Southeast Asian country.

Xinhua