Discussion Affairs on the Project Supports for Education and Training for People with Disabilities for an Effective and Appropriate Job

His Excellency Em Chan Makara, Secretary General Disability Action Council congratulated for Essential Personal Cambodia Organization was just created. It serves education services to People with Disabilities, for, they can effectively get appropriate job and independent living.

On the circumstance of a meeting on February 2016, His Excellency Em Chan Makara, Secretary General has a meeting with Mr. Ouch Nimul, Executive Director of Essential Personal Cambodia Organization and his colleagues to discuss about a project of support for education and training for People with Disabilities.

Mr. Ouch Nimul, Executive Director of Essential Personal Cambodia Organization stated that this organization was created in 2015. There are 15 staff and 7 Board of Director members. Among these 7 members of Board of Director, there are 3 Khmer nation and 2 expatriates. This organization has its vision and mission as follow:

Vision: “An inclusive community where children and youth with physical disabilities gain access education and employment in order to live with dignity in the community”

Mission: “To assist and support young people with physical disabilities to gain access to education including tertiary level or access skills training, leading to an income through employment or self-employment”

Currently, Essential Personal Cambodia Organization rose is implementing five programs as follow:

First program is university house support for tertiary education and residential services including food, uniforms, and health care for 22 students. Through Metphone company, those 22 students got 50% scholarship from Samdach Techo Hun Sen to study at the Phnom Penh International University,

Second program is in home education support service. This program serves services to children with disabilities in the communities where focus mainly on three provinces, Kandal, Takeo, and Kampot,

Third program is social enterprise and employment that offer skill training and job searching. Via this program, they have created laundry shop and pig farm for skill students and job searching to assist People with Disabilities can get job,

Fourth program is Marwick Chhouk Center. This program exists in Kampot Province to serve skill training and supporting livelihood of children with disabilities and their family. They got cow, health care services, hygienic water, and food assistance,

Fifth program is building hope Cambodia. It is in Angsnoul District, Kandal Province.

His Excellency Em Chan Makara, Secretary General Disability Action Council fully supported and welcome for this new organization has a conduct to assist you with disabilities to get job. This is also a contribution to the government in encourage all People with Disabilities get job which is according to “Quota System” of the government that defines 2% of People with Disabilities should be employed in the state ministries and institutions and 1% for private institutions.

His Excellency Em Chan Makara also stated that Royal Government of Cambodia set National Disability Strategic Plan 2014-2018 to raise job opportunity and appropriate skills for People with Disabilities. This is for the purpose of promotion for proper livelihood and strengthening the independence living of People with Disabilities; eg. recently, Samdach Techo Hun Sen agreed to offer 6 special civil servants to 6 youth with disabilities who are the winners award of information technology from Republic of Korea. They are now currently working for Secretariat General Disability Action Council.

His Excellency Em Chan Makara, Secretary General Disability Action Council suggested to this new organization. It should train People with Disabilities on skill of light weight construction, so, they can build ramps for state and private institutions. This is a reminding for everybody to build ramps and it is also job opportunity for income generation of People with Disabilities. A part of this, Mr. Secretary General recommended to this organization to offer job and good job environment facility for People with Disabilities can work in the Centre. Also encourage tourists that they can come to visit production of People with Disabilities.

Another recommendation from His Excellency Em Chan Makara is that the organization should collect data of People with Disabilities who are currently studying in schools, vocational training centre, universities. Thus, they can have adequate information collection, so, that would be easily help youth with disabilities and find job for them. There should have quarterly meeting with relevant stakeholders, particular private sector, for they support to recruit People with Disabilities to work.

Royal Government inspires to People with Disabilities to create self-employment such as agriculture, micro, small, and medium businesses in the form of individuals or collective business of People with disabilities, for it is move forward to poverty reduction of People with Disabilities.