Siem Reap, 17 – 21, 2015: This year, NGO Forum on Cambodia (NGOF) conducted its Annual Staff Retreat trip in the land of the World Heritage, Angkor Wat. The noteworthy objectives of the five-day activities were to enforce the staff capacity building to strengthen team building, communications and accountability within and across the teams, to enforce staff capacity on how they will contribute to the NGOF’s mission and vision, and to develop the management system of the NGOF as well as to increase staff motivation. There were a total of 37 staff (17 females) joined this journey.
To promote the social work counting environment and education factors, on the way of the first travelling day, NGOF team made a stop at Puk Yuk Primary School, situated in Kompong Thom province, to distribute the study kits to approximately 100 students and grow 150 trees that would bring extra shades and oxygen at the school within the next few years.
The subsequent two-day undertook with the training sessions that had been designed based on the actual needs, in which attentive on the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the Report Writing.
ICT training with the topic “How to Write Hot News, Taking Photos and Videos by Using Smart Phones”, was conducted on the second day with the specific agenda to learn how to write hot news, taking photos in a quick but effective and efficient ways. This session was initiated to upturn staff capability on using communications tools and how to apply them for the NGOF accomplishments. It was also the very first time training, in which had been conducted at the NGOF.
“I was very fascinated about this ICT session, as it was not only the first time training, but every content is so interesting and very useful. We write every day at work, but we sometimes couldn’t focus on how to tell about the progress or success of our program in a short, yet understandable. And this five WH and one H tip does bright us up,” Sin Sokhomny, Agriculture Policies Monitoring Project Coordinator of NGOF shared. “Otherwise, due to the time constraint, we didn’t manage to finish the video session. I hope we are going to have another training like this once again because I believe the video technique would be also very useful to our work.”
The Report Writing Training was followed the following day, where the session focused on the quality of the report, including outputs, outcomes and impacts of the program activities, as well as guideline to produce one report format for all. Ms. Kim Nay, Program Manager of Development Issue Program of NGOF said that, “this is a very worthwhile session to share with our colleagues during this time. First of all, each colleague managed to be here here to absorb this class. Second, after a detail explanation by the trainer over output, outcome and impact, we are able to see the difference and to be able to write the best for our upcoming reports. Even though it’s not the first time training for us, but this training does remind us to keep focusing and straight to our activity report.”
On day four, NGOF team hosted the strategic orientation to the staff about NGOF standing positions, vision, mission, goal, core values, and advocacy strategies in order to recap the team about who we are. In principle, NGOF works to improve life for poor and vulnerable people in Cambodia. It is a membership organization that builds NGO cooperation and capacity, supporting NGO networks and other civil society organizations to engage in policy dialogue, debate and advocacy.
“The goal of NGO Forum is that the rights of the poor and vulnerable are recognized and supported by the policies and practices of Cambodia’s government and development partners, and the wider community,” Sam Somony, Forestry Rights Project Coordinator of NGOF, read our loud the NGOF goal during the hot potato game.
Dr. Tek Vannara, Executive Director of the NGOF said that in addition to all the provided knowledge, the trip was also organized with the purposes to bring the utmost friendship, motivation and unity moment within this umbrella organization. “We are working and moving together on the same boat to promote the human rights, protect the environment, development policy and many other significant issues in Cambodia. Hence, it is very essential that we do love, understand and supporting each other. I believe that all the activities of this year will add value and contribution to all of our objectives.”
Other activities such as the group photo contest and cycling for the environment were also happening during that period.
