Pact in Cambodia

Pact arrived in Cambodia in 1991 at a pivotal point in the country's transition from a war-ravaged society to one based on economic and social stability.

The hurdles facing the country were formidable. There was little or no experience among the population to draw upon because most professionals had either left the country or been killed. Every aspect of the rebuilding program would require intensive training and mentoring in order that concepts, skills and techniques could be understood and practiced with some proficiency.

These conditions would serve as a catalyst and constraint to establishing and developing Cambodian NGOs. Initially Pact targeted local organizations working with some of the neediest groups: the poor, women and war victims. Because there were so few indigenous organizations, Pact also encouraged the formation of Cambodian-American organizations to provide services ranging from psychosocial counseling to rural enterprise development, community leadership, women's social and economic improvement and village maternal and child health.

Pact provided these new indigenous and Cambodian-American organizations with subgrants to run programs and cover basic operating expenses as well as training and technical assistance to strengthen project and financial management skills.

As local NGOs began to mature Pact helped them in developing critical self-assessment skills to design program strategies, define long-term visions, and examine the impact of their programs on target populations. Pact also encouraged organizations to form networks and coalitions to incubate ideas and share lessons learned.

In 1997, when political unrest led to the proposed shutting down of all direct U.S. assistance, Pact led a coalition effort that successfully lobbied congress to keep money flowing to local NGOs. That same year the first NGO Fair was held in Phnom Penh.

Today the Cambodian NGO sector numbers over 400 local organizations, including many of the Cambodian-American organizations, which have localized as indigenous NGOs. They are active across all development sectors and played a leading role in educating citizens to the importance of the first-ever commune elections held in 2001.

Pact also provides capacity building technical assistance and management services to other international donor organizations, which has included Swedish SIDA, the Dutch organization, ICCO, and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Committee.

Publications and Resources

To view a list of Pact Cambodia publications and resources, please click here.