Support rural communities by developing alternative sources of income through sustainable development
Located in the southwest of Cambodia, Osoam is a very small, rural community (4 villages with 327 families) located in the heart of the Cardamom Mountains. Located between the Crocodile Protection Sanctuary and Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, the population of Osoam consists primarily of indigenous people, namely the Chorng and Poer.
The Osoam Cardamom Community Center (OsoamCCC) project hopes to share our community with travelers while improving and changing our quality of life.
Currently, the major sources of income for the local people of Osoam community involve the illegal trading of timber, wildlife, and other forest products combined with slash and burn farming. This lifestyle is unsustainable and heavily dependent on seasonal conditions resulting in an incredibly fragile community. This is especially relevant given that these activities are now having noticeable detrimental effects on the environment. If the locals had other sources of income, there would be no need for logging or poaching. In fact, locals don’t like their dependence on logging and poaching, but it is the best source of income available to them, which provides them stability. OsoamCCC gives them a great alternative.
In order to change, it is essential to educate local residents about the benefits of our project. OsoamCCC aims to support rural communities by developing alternative sources of income through sustainable development and international collaboration. The project proposes a holistic approach to sustainable development outlined in the following four development categories:
The Osoam Cardamom Community Center (OsoamCCC) project hopes to share our community with travelers while improving and changing our quality of life.
Currently, the major sources of income for the local people of Osoam community involve the illegal trading of timber, wildlife, and other forest products combined with slash and burn farming. This lifestyle is unsustainable and heavily dependent on seasonal conditions resulting in an incredibly fragile community. This is especially relevant given that these activities are now having noticeable detrimental effects on the environment. If the locals had other sources of income, there would be no need for logging or poaching. In fact, locals don’t like their dependence on logging and poaching, but it is the best source of income available to them, which provides them stability. OsoamCCC gives them a great alternative.
In order to change, it is essential to educate local residents about the benefits of our project. OsoamCCC aims to support rural communities by developing alternative sources of income through sustainable development and international collaboration. The project proposes a holistic approach to sustainable development outlined in the following four development categories:
- Education
- Vocational training
- Ecotourism
- Agriculture programs
Help contribute to this life-changing community.
Our Story
Mr. Lim started out as a Local Ranger dedicated to protecting the natural wildlife of this beautiful province. He spent many years in the jungle, protecting the natural biodiversity and arresting poachers from conducting illegal activities that were harmful to the area. During his time as a Ranger he began to see a pattern in the kinds of arrests he was making; many members from the local community kept being caught up in illegal activities. After a few years, Lim began to question why this was happening. It wasn't until some local leaders came to him that he discovered what the reason was.
Hidden away in their beautiful mountains, without even any roads, these people didn't know about the law. They were trying to survive using the skills and resources they had, and the ones that had been passed down to them for many generations. Many didn't even know how to read. From then on Mr. Lim made it his mission to help these people. Lim set out to teach safe and ethical agricultural practices, helped build a school, worked on the infrastructure to bring roads, electricity, and education to the people of the Cardamom Mountains.
Which is why this mission is so important.
Hidden away in their beautiful mountains, without even any roads, these people didn't know about the law. They were trying to survive using the skills and resources they had, and the ones that had been passed down to them for many generations. Many didn't even know how to read. From then on Mr. Lim made it his mission to help these people. Lim set out to teach safe and ethical agricultural practices, helped build a school, worked on the infrastructure to bring roads, electricity, and education to the people of the Cardamom Mountains.
Which is why this mission is so important.