Current Projects

The House of Light and Knowledge The House of Light and Knowledge is a free community/youth centre. It currently has over 800 registered students who come to learn English, environmental and peace studies, art, music, sports and other vocational skills and is designed to complement the work of the local school. As well as providing the children with skills for the future, working at a local level, the project hopes to contribute to rebuilding the country’s social fabric. The centre consists of classrooms, an office, a computer lab, a library, music room, sports facilities and playgrounds. The children of Ksach Poy have never before had the chance to learn another language and other vocational skills. It is hoped that with more skills the children will have more options than their parents did. This already successful venture could well be replicated in other parts of Cambodia as funds permit.
	Green Orange Café The café provides a safe, alcohol and drug-free space for children of all ages to meet and socialise. Green Orange staff are from the local area and the café provides much needed employment in the village, Ksach Poy, as well as raising funds for other community projects. By using local ingredients, the Green Orange Café (named after the famous Battambang Orange) seeks to benefit the local economy in an environmentally responsible way. They would also like to raise funds for solar panels to run the café.
Women's Garment Group Another particularly successful project has been the building of a small garment production facility which allows young women to earn a living in the village rather than having to leave to find work elsewhere. This project began in 1997 and the idea behind setting up this garment production facility in the Ksach Poy village was to curb the forced migration of rural women to urban areas, and to keep resources in the village. By staying in the village the women have much lower costs. They also have time to plant rice with their family and to help at home in other ways. As well as allowing the district’s young women to stay with their families, the factory brings money into the village which benefits local markets and businesses in the village
	Youth Music A group of young Cambodians calling themselves The Black Eagles juggle their working lives with practicing hard in this new band. FEDA sponsor them so that their families can afford to allow them time away from working in the fields to practice. They would like to record their first CD and have just begun to make their own income after having been hired at 2 weddings. A new girl band has also just formed and is hoping to have a similar opportunity.
Performing Arts Centre One of the major projects it to build a Performing Arts Centre on the site at an estimated cost of $100,000. The centre is a dream project for young people who have been studying music and art at the House of Light and Knowledge. The centre will provide opportunities for artistic expression and career development for young people. This also will significantly contribute to the community economy development and capacity building. The centre will be used as a space for training, teaching and practicing art, music and other forms of creative arts and activities. It will also be a performance theatre for visitors and public. From time to time, the centre will be used for seminars or workshops that youth, community members or NGO workers can use to meet and discuss social, development and peace issues.
	Eco-Tours FEDA is planning to begin Eco-friendly tours of the local countryside and river. Local staff will be recruited to guide people with explanations of village traditions and mythology. FEDA is raising money for Kayaks and a jetty.