Myanmar (Burma)

Overview
Irrawaddy Faces Project
Humanitarian Medical Aid
Myitkyina Schools
Rural Electrification

Cambodia

Overview
Vocational Education & Microfinance
Forest & Cultural Site
Rehabilitation

Forest and Cultural Site Rehabilitation

Ban Bung village lies near the mouth of the Sesan River in Stung Treng Province, Northeast Cambodia. Below the Sesan, the Mekong forms cataracts and deep water pools, which are habitat for the critically endangered Irrawaddy Dolphin. Economic and infrastructure development along the Mekong Corridor has by-passed Sesan River communities.  For the people of Ban Bung and neighboring villages, a lack of livelihood alternatives and limited access to credit for entrepreneurial development contributes to over-harvesting the local forest and river for income. The people of Ban Bung recognize the need to preserve their communal forest, which in addition to being vital to local welfare, is the site of a small lake and an ancient Khmer temple damaged by decades of war. 

BSSPI will coordinate resources and work with officials and villagers to protect the limited forest resources, promoting sustainable forestry practices. Contributions will be used to develop a community forestry master plan, educate villagers on the dangers of deforestation and the need to practice sustainable forestry, promote community involvement in natural resource development, and provide villagers with a sense of ownership over the forest. BSSPI staff and an expert consultant will work with the village to ensure they conserve and develop forest resources for future generations. 

The BSSPI program will also work with local and government officials to rehabilitate the historic site.  Ban Bung villagers recognize the tourist potential of the area, which could provide additional income opportunity and encourage sustained local cooperation in preserving both cultural and natural heritage  (See also Vocational Training). 

A local official peers into the “magic well,” a natural spring flowing from inside a huge boulder near the site of a ruined Angkor-era religious monument in Ban Bung. Locals say the well is never dry and those who drink from its waters will enjoy a long and healthy life.