In Koh Sralao village, Stung Treng province, 51-year-old farmer Mrs. Loeur Sin has become a quiet yet powerful force for change.

Living along the Mekong River, her community depends on fishing and farming—livelihoods now threatened by shifting weather patterns and environmental degradation.

Once an ordinary farmer, Mrs. Sin transformed her role through active engagement in climate adaptation and sustainable agriculture.

Her leadership journey began with community involvement in climate discussions, where she realized the importance of integrating women’s and youth voices into local decision-making. She became a passionate advocate for gender equality and inclusive development.

With technical support from My Village Organization (MVi) and capacity building from the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), Mrs. Sin embraced climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices.

These innovations helped her improve crop yields, secure regular income, and reduce her family’s vulnerability to climate shocks.

She’s not alone in this movement. Youth members in the village, inspired by leaders like Sin, have been actively involved in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) initiatives. Together, they collaborate with key partners including CCDM, DCDM, PCDM, and the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) to strengthen community resilience.

“Being a farmer isn’t just about growing food anymore—it’s about protecting our environment and leading by example,” Mrs. Sin shared. Despite ongoing challenges such as heavy workloads and limited access to climate information, she remains committed to empowering others and building a climate-resilient future.

Her journey reflects the deep impact of community-based leadership and inclusive education. Through practical experience and strategic partnerships, Mrs. Sin is cultivating more than crops—she’s cultivating a legacy of empowerment, equity, and resilience.

Koh Sneng commune, located along the Mekong River in Stung Treng province, frequently faces the devastating impacts of climate change—floods, storms, and droughts have become part of daily life.

In recent years, these disasters have disrupted thousands of livelihoods, particularly affecting women, whose voices often go unheard in decision-making processes.

Ms. Na Osa, 62, the first deputy of Koh Sneng commune council, is one of the few women in leadership striving to change that.

Despite holding a position as the commune’s disaster management focal point, she initially admitted, “Even now, I’m not clear what climate change truly means.”

Supported by My Village Organization (MVi) and Oxfam, Ms. Na Osa participated in a series of capacity-building workshops focused on disaster management, vulnerability risk assessment (VRA), and early warning systems (App 1294).

Equipped with new knowledge and tools, she actively engaged in community planning sessions, contributing to discussions that identified local climate challenges and adaptive responses.

Her involvement became instrumental in shifting local governance toward more inclusive, climate-informed decision-making. Ms. Na Osa’s transformation—from uncertainty to action—motivated others, especially women and youth, to join climate planning efforts and steward the commune’s natural resources more responsibly.

She passionately encourages community participation: “Even if some jobs don’t bring income, we must take ownership and care for our resources to reduce disaster risks.”

Today, her leadership symbolizes the growing recognition of women’s roles in climate resilience. By bridging community knowledge and institutional processes, Ms. Na Osa is helping build a more informed, adaptive, and united Koh Sneng—one that recognizes inclusion as essential to sustainability.

In Koh Sneang village, nestled within the broader Koh Sneang commune of Stung Treng province, climate change and disaster risks—floods, storms, and prolonged drought—have deeply impacted local communities.

Amid these challenges, 62-year-old Mrs. Ousa, a woman with a disability and member of the commune council, has emerged as a trailblazing leader in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation.

With limited prior knowledge of climate issues, Mrs. Ousa joined the Strengthening Community Resilience (SCR) project—an initiative supported by Oxfam and facilitated by My Village Organization (MVi).

The project provided her with technical training, workshops, and leadership development in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and early warning systems.

Reflecting on her journey, she shared, “Before, I didn’t know what climate change was—even though I was on the disaster management committee. Now, I lead sessions that help my community prepare.”

Empowered by this support, Mrs. Ousa organized community trainings on disaster preparedness, coordinated response plans, and became a key advocate for the 1294 early warning app.

By working closely with fellow council members and community groups, she ensured local residents—including women, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups—could access timely information and build resilience.

Her commitment not only increased public awareness of climate risks but also brought greater visibility to the capacities of persons with disabilities in local leadership. Through her efforts, Koh Sneang has improved its responsiveness to climate threats, reinforcing the importance of inclusion in building community-wide resilience.

Mrs. Ousa’s transformation exemplifies the power of capacity building and inclusive engagement. Her leadership reinforces a vital message: when marginalized voices are equipped and empowered, they can lead their communities toward safer, more sustainable futures.

MVi organized one workshop at provincial levels to aware the champions for commune administration who have allocated more budget for climate change activities in commune plans and award for indigenous women and indigenous youths who are active to work with commune councilors for the success of budget allocation for climate change activities in the commune. It was attended from 120 participants (64 women, 56 youths, 03 LGBT+, 03 PWD) including indigenous women, indigenous youths from seven villages, and commune councilors from four communes, district officials, and provincial officials. This activity was implemented on 28th July, 2022 at Rasmey Pich hotel in Stung Treng province.

The outstanding commune on best praises of budget allocation for climate change in commune plans have been awarded to Kbal Romeas commune councilor. Active indigenous women have been awarded to Tourn Song women focal person and indigenous youths have been awarded to youth focal person in Samkhouy village.

In a part of awareness raising to community members on deep pool conservation boundary, in 2021 youths collaborated with Samkhouy local authorities to install the Yay Ey deep pool conservation in Srea Tapan village, Samkhouy commune, Sesan district, Stung Treng province that it was participated from Samkhouy commune councilor, Samkhouy commune police and Srea Tapan youths representative. Under small grant, Srea Tapan CFi committee has proposed some activity to conduct the awareness raising to community members on their deep pool conservation boundary because in conservation area is not allowed for fishing if someone do the fishing in deep pool conservation will be punished by CFi committee bases on Srea Tapan by-law.

In Thboung Kla village, O’maras commune, Stung Treng province, Mrs. Khun Sothy has emerged as a determined voice for grassroots development. A mother of four and member of an agricultural community, she once lived a quiet life farming and growing vegetables. But her journey took a meaningful turn when local authorities recognized her active participation and selected her as a community women’s leader.

Initially, Mrs. Sothy faced self-doubt and limited experience in leadership. “At first, I didn’t know how to lead women’s groups or organize meetings,” she recalled. That changed when she received capacity-building support from My Village Organization (MVi), including training on gender action learning, leadership, decision-making, and community mobilization.

Equipped with new skills, Mrs. Sothy began holding meetings to share knowledge and mobilize Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, youth, and women to engage in outreach activities. She led issue-collection discussions in her community and represented them in monthly commune council meetings, ensuring their voices influenced the village development plan.

Her growth wasn’t just personal—it was catalytic. Her efforts sparked wider community participation in development planning, especially among women and underrepresented groups. Through partnerships with fishery communities and local authorities, she promoted sustainable resource management and advocated for communal needs.“

“I want to urge all women to be brave and willing to work,” she said. “Even if it doesn’t bring income, everyone has the right to participate in developing our village and protecting our fisheries.”

In Koh Sneang village, Stung Treng Province, 26-year-old Mrs. Kon Somdon, a mother of two, has emerged as a dynamic force in community-led climate action. As the women’s group chief, she initially had limited understanding of climate change and its impacts. But through her involvement in the Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (VRA) initiative, her perspective and leadership were transformed.

The VRA process introduced her to critical climate concerns facing her village, including shifting weather patterns, rising water levels, and frequent extreme weather events. Equipped with new knowledge, Mrs. Somdon convened village meetings to discuss climate threats and adaptation strategies. Her leadership ensured that the needs of women, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ individuals, and children were integrated into local adaptation planning.

Capacity-building workshops boosted her confidence and skills, enabling her to actively shape the development of inclusive climate action plans. Recognizing her effectiveness, she was selected to advocate for climate priorities in the Koh Sneang Commune Investment Program (CIP). With determination and community support, she championed the inclusion of climate-resilient projects such as early warning systems (App 1294), installation of flood-level billboards, water-level measurement poles, and climate-smart agriculture.

Mrs. Somdon’s impact extended beyond her village. She began participating in district and provincial dialogues, ensuring grassroots perspectives were heard in broader climate policymaking. Her advocacy helped place community resilience at the center of subnational development agendas.

Her story underscores the power of inclusive leadership and knowledge-sharing. From hesitant participant to respected advocate, Mrs. Kon Somdon has played a pivotal role in transforming climate resilience in Koh Sneang. Her journey serves as an inspiration for other women seeking to shape development priorities from the ground up.

In the riverine village of Koh Sralao, Stung Treng province, 52-year-old Mrs. Loeur Sin has emerged as a role model for women in agriculture and climate resilience. Living 35 kilometers from Stung Treng town and accessible only by boat, her community thrives on farming, fishing, and forest resources.

Among them, Mrs. Sin stands out as a leading agricultural promoter formed by My Village Organization (MVi), actively engaging in climate discussions and community development initiatives.

With technical support from MVi, Sin adopted the climate-smart agriculture (CSA) model, transforming her home garden into a diversified source of income and climate adaptation.

In 2024, she cultivated a range of vegetables including peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and lettuce. Harvesting 10–20 kilograms each session, she supplies about 225 kilograms weekly to local buyers at the Mekong Bird Resort, earning approximately 337,500 riels per week.

Notably, she also collects produce from fellow farmers, strengthening local networks and livelihoods.

Beyond her economic success, Sin is passionate about empowering other women and youth. “They can do the same as I do,” she shared. “It’s about creating income and increasing our voices in community development.” Her learning journey—supported by MVi and Oxfam—deepened her understanding of gender equality and inclusive climate adaptation.

Yet, challenges persist. Women’s voices in decision-making remain limited due to heavy workloads and poor access to climate information. Sin stresses that women must play central roles in disaster risk reduction and climate resilience, engaging with institutions like CCDM, DCDM, and RUA to strengthen village planning.

Today, Mrs. Sin is not only a producer but also a speaker, sharing best practices in workshops and mentoring others. Her leadership reflects the potential of grassroots women to drive inclusive, climate-smart agriculture across Cambodia’s vulnerable landscapes.