The REDD+ Keo Seima Project, implemented by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, is providing scholarships and vocational training to 73 indigenous students and youth to help them continue their studies and earn income without relying on forest resources.

The project utilised $275,592 for the initiative, partly generated from the sale of forest carbon credits in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary.

According to WCS, the beneficiaries include five university scholarship recipients studying in Phnom Penh, 20 students at Hun Sen Keo Seima High School, eight enrolled in a two-year associate degree programme and 40 community youths participating in four to five-month courses in skills such as hairdressing, tailoring, beauty care and motorcycle repair.

The ministry and WCS organised a field visit to the Keo Seima project for journalists from 25 outlets from September 21-23.

WCS deputy country director Neth Vibol told reporters on Monday, September 23 that the Cambodia Corps Inc (CCi), a partner organisation funded by the project, has been promoting the scholarship and training opportunities to communities within the area.

“Our partners announce the criteria and requirements at the commune schools and conduct the selection process to ensure that the chosen students are genuinely indigenous, living in the community and truly in need, as they cannot afford [the cost of their studies],” he said.

The project, initiated in 2010, is being implemented on 166,983 hectares of forest within the more than 300,000-hectare sanctuary. Twenty villages in and around the sanctuary are involved.

Estimates suggest that the project can help reduce emissions by 142,664 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) annually. According to the USAID Conserve study on REDD+ projects in the country, it has already contributed to avoiding over 20 million tCO2e and preventing the deforestation of approximately 25,000 hectares.

Vibol mentioned that the students studying in Phnom Penh have begun internships with partner organisations, institutions and directly within the project in the community land registration sector.

“If they don’t have jobs, they are forced to find income by entering protected areas to collect forest products and sometimes engage in activities such as hunting or logging. But when they have clear vocational skills, they can earn a legal income and contribute to conserving natural resources in the Keo Seima area,” he said.

Sam El Sopheap, the scholarship programme coordinator at Hun Sen Keo Seima High School, explained that the initiative, which began in 2023, is the first of its kind. She said for high school students, the scholarship covers all expenses until they complete Grade 12, including healthcare, accommodation, study materials, food, clothing and travel costs.

“The project helps students living in extreme poverty in remote areas, including orphans and those with elderly parents who cannot afford to support their studies. Without this support, they might drop out of school,” she explained.

Sak Samphors, a Grade 10A student at the school and one of the 20 recipients, expressed great joy regarding the scholarship and the project.

She stated that the initiative supports the education of poor students like herself and also contributes to forest and community conservation.

“I am an indigenous person born and raised with the forest, so I want the forest to remain forever. Please help protect [it] and other natural resources for future generations,” she said.

Ministry spokesperson Khvay Atiya noted that the initiative is particularly important as it provides new opportunities for indigenous youth, who traditionally rely on nature for their livelihood, to gradually reduce their dependency on natural resources.

“In the past, they lived in protected areas with no other option but to depend on forest by-products or derive benefits from the forest. With support from the environment ministry, the project is helping the community avoid entering the forest,” he said.

Atiya added that the ministry, along with its partners, encourages educational opportunities and vocational training for indigenous people to provide them with knowledge and income-generating skills to support their families.

Additionally, Vibol mentioned that if students wish to pursue further studies after completing Grade 12, the project will continue to support them.

He emphasised that education, healthcare and poverty reduction are crucial parts of the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), which the project aims to address. He said its 60-year implementation will ensure that those involved will overcome poverty, gain adequate knowledge and cease activities that harm natural resources.