by Danielle Botti

30 August 2007

Phnom Penh, Cambodia: It is not everyday that UNV volunteers and fishermen rub shoulders with an international celebrity. But the visit last week of Ms. Misako Konno, Japanese actress and writer, brought some rare glamour and excitement to a UN Volunteers project on Tonlé Sap Lake.
 
Appointed in 1998 as a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador, Ms. Konno addressed the role of volunteerism for development during a meeting with UN Resident Coordinator Douglas Gardner, at a lunch hosted for the Goodwill Ambassador, her husband and the UNDP Tokyo representative.

In place of government and donor community representatives, Mr. Gardner invited some Cambodian volunteers to share their perspectives on Cambodian development, youth participation and the potential for volunteerism to make a difference. Volunteers from UNV and Youth Star Cambodia shared their experiences of community development, environmental conservation, promoting education and working with people living with HIV.

The Goodwill Ambassador was fascinated to hear their stories and promised to tell people in Japan about the impact young Cambodian volunteers are having on their country.

Ms. Konno’s trip helps brings attention to the work of UNV in Cambodia and the vital projects UNV supports in the region. In the floating village of Prek Toal, Ms. Konno attended a briefing on the work of UNDP and UNV and gave her own impressions of the country and the UNV project. The audience of mostly women and children participated in a dialogue with the Goodwill Ambassador on the needs of the community and how UNV and UNDP are helping them improve their quality of life.

UNV has volunteers stationed in the three ‘Core Areas’ across the Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. UNV volunteers promote sustainable development through alternative livelihoods, as well as serving to build voluntary support networks and foster community spirit. One of the key projects in Prek Toal is an initiative for fuel-efficient cooking stoves. These stoves will help cut down on deforestation and improve family health.

Ms. Konno has traveled throughout Asia to promote UNDP’s development agenda for the Least Developed Countries. She has visited nations from Palestine to Timor Leste, raising awareness in Japan for some of the unique programmes and projects implemented with Japanese support. Ms. Konno visited Cambodia in 1999 as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, returning almost eight years later to see the progress the country has made since her first visit. As an influential member of Japanese society, Ms. Konno spreads the message about Cambodia’s impressive achievements and rapid development throughout Japan.

During her recent five-day visit to Cambodia, Ms. Konno met with leaders and administrators in the Cambodian government and in UNDP Cambodia. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife met with Ms. Konno and her husband to discuss the progress of Cambodia’s Millennium Development Goals, and the rapid advancement of economic and technological growth.

UN Volunteers supports a number of important projects in Cambodia. In an eco-tourism project, national UNV volunteers are working with the local community to establish a kitchen and restaurant to support visitors to the Core Area bird sanctuary. The volunteers provided training and demonstrations, with NGO support, for cooks and tour guides, and a tour boat was acquired through UNDP and the Global Environment Facility. A total of 16 villagers volunteered to take part in the project, which runs until December 2007.

Across three villages in the Prek Toal area, 40 villagers have been mobilised to take part in a savings and credit group.

In other projects, UNV volunteers are helping to establish the practice of making charcoal fuel from water hyacinths so that villagers can avoid using wood from the local forest. UNV volunteers are also providing training in growing mushrooms as a form of food and income, with the support of local organisations.