PHNOM PENH, July 12, 2022 – Impact Hub Phnom Penh launched Cambodia NOW-Us Award Season 2 at the Factory Phnom Penh. Cambodia NOW-Us Award — a program created in a collaboration between Impact Hub Phnom Penh with Voice Cambodia through Oxfam Cambodia — has a goal to recognize inspiring initiatives from Cambodia that promote diversity, inclusion, and empowerment of Voice’s rightsholder groups. Impact Hub Phnom Penh is very delightful to have a chance to implement this program again this year with the top 10 selected teams.
Oxfam Novib and Hivos carried out Voice Global, a project that is financed by the Netherlands’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and implemented in ten countries in Asia and Africa. In Cambodia, Voice Cambodia through Oxfam Cambodia has been started in 2016 to support individuals with disabilities, indigenous communities and ethnic minorities, women who are facing abuse and violence, vulnerable youth, the elderly, and LGBTI people to be the change-maker for the lives they want to be.
This launch event gave a remarkable opportunity for networking and to share experiences between the winner teams from previous years and the selected 10 teams from this year along with other participants. Most importantly, the attendance from his excellency Samheng Boros, Minister attached to Prime Minister and Chairman of National Social Assistance Fund, Ishita Dutta, Program Manager from Voice Cambodia through Oxfam Cambodia, and Melanie Mossard, the Cheif Executive Officer of Impact Hub Phnom Penh to give a speech to make this event more extraordinary. In this launch of Cambodia NOW-Us Award season 2, there were podcasts, music video, and mini-documentaries from the previous winners to showcase to all participants in order to get a better understanding of this program.
“Before solving anything, first is ‘Nothing about us Without Us!’ This will out future government policy that we will have to attempt to empower their voice. Until now, not many of them had gone through much education yet, so they are scared to join and share their ideas. I strongly believe what everyone here is doing, is a really inspiring project. We have to work together to raise their voice. Unless they are happy to live in our society, then we all will be happy and this society can keep developing.” said Samheng Boros, Minister attached to Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Social Assistance Fund.
“The NOW-Us Award is a very special initiative for us because this is an initiative we started to really give meaning to the principle ‘Nothing about us Without Us!’ And we are so happy to partner with Impact Hub in Cambodia to roll out this award.” said Ishita Dutta, Program Manager from Voice Cambodia through Oxfam Cambodia.
Last year, Cambodia NOW-Us Award was a successful program. There were three winners who are working on different project ideas. Neary won first place with the idea to create online platforms to combat all the negative social norms and stereotypes for gender equality. They also work closely with women, men, and the LGBTQ+ community. Saori Organization — a non-profit organization — won second place where her idea is to work with people with disabilities to provide them with opportunities to study skills, obtain decent employment, earn a living, and live a dignified life. Lastly, it was SafespaceBTB that won third place with the idea to make a safe and creative space for LGBT youth in Battambang province.
In this Cambodia NOW-Us Award Season 2, Impact Hub Phnom Penh, Cambodia Voice Cambodia through Oxfam Cambodia, and other people are very exciting and looking forward to seeing what these 10 teams with brilliant mindsets and unique solutions can bring positive impacts to their society. Nothing about us Without Us!
For more information:
Pichmony Thay and Event Manager of Impact Hub Phnom Penh | 010 42 27 26 [email protected]
