Just got back last Thursday from a very productive PRA activity in the Kep Pilot Project area. I was joined by the Pilot and Research Coordinators of the Kamchai Mear Pilot Project plus 5 student-volunteers from the Maharishi Vedic University who were the assistant facilitators.

The two-day PRA is composed of 6 exercises that will help us researchers to generate data capturing selected livelihood and community dynamics that were not captured by the baseline survey we did in November last year. Unlike the baseline survey, community members contributed data through these exercises by interacting with each other, enabling them to reach consensus on the way they describe their community. This process lends credibility and plausibility to the data gathered, because participants were engaged in cross-checking and refining their contributions in an effort to reflect what to them is "true" of their situation, from the way they see it as insiders. Also, the exercises made the process of gathering data reflexive, meaning, as community members contribute data they were also engaged in a process of reflecting and learning to understand the situation of their community better.

Participants came from 11 villages from the three communes - Pong Tuek, Ou Krasak, Angkaol - comprising Damnak Chang'eur district of the municipality of Kep. All in all, there were 32 participants - farmers, fishermen, community health workers, teachers, achars (laymen), policemen, businessmen/women/traders, students - representing the various sectors or segments in terms of livelihood and certain socio-demographic characteristics.

Here are some pictures of our two-day activity:

*NB: Participatory Rural Appraisal