Computers, Litter and Learning - CSR in action in Cambodia
Computers, Litter and Learning CSR in action in Cambodia
Business is booming in Cambodia as foreign direct investment pours in, building dreams which were unthinkable just 5 years ago. But while incomes and quality of life are improving, lack of long-term planning and access to resources limit upskilling the workforce and sustainable growth.
Growth but at what cost?
While the surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) has contributed to economic growth and helped lift millions of Cambodians out of poverty, these gains have come at a price: a damaged environment.
As incomes rise, so does the consumption of goods, but waste management infrastructure lags behind, meaning tonnes of unprocessed waste entering the natural environment, with grave consequences. Rural communities who depend upon natural resources are the first to feel the impacts of growth with little governance.
The Challenge
Companies could help to cushion the blow through robust CSR programmes, but face multiple challenges in doing so, including:
Lack of result-orientated focus,
Lack of alignment with business strategy and;
Lack of foresight in business planning
Furthermore, while increased investment has improved social mobility, it has not improved skills, which are still lacking in the national workforce, especially in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM. Technology could be used to find creative solutions to some of Cambodia’s environmental problems, but lack of access to resources and know-how remain as barriers.
Students in Cambodia are limited by resources, and with the industry 4.0 looming across the horizon, students need to enter STEM learning fast. But many Cambodian students simply cannot afford brand new laptops, and conventional rote-learn teaching methods in educational institutes prevent the critical thinking which STEM demands.
Rising to the Challenge
This is where The Idea comes in.
In December 2018, The Idea was engaged by the Royal Government of Cambodia to support recruitment of vendors and littering awareness for the ‘Win-Win Memorial’ event which 50,000 people were expected to attend.
To make this happen, The Idea sought partners who were strong on technology and understood the value of investing in human capital for a brighter tomorrow for Cambodia. We identified digital marketing company Ardor SEO, who were already leading the way by investing time and resources in university students. For Ardor SEO, instilling skills and excellence in ethics and attitude in university students made sense - it will ease future recruitment in STEM fields.
Ardor’s donation
The Idea reached out to Ardor for a technology donation, starting with 6 desktop computers.
Supported by Ardor, The Idea delivered training to 30 budding university students utilising the donated desktops. Students learned research skills using proprietary software on GSuite for face-to-face data collection software, Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing or CAPI.
What did these students learn?
How to use a Google Platform: Forms and Sheets to collect and analyse data
How to perform CAPI (computer-assisted personal interviews) through 8 tablets from The Idea and the 6 computers donated from Ardor SEO
Communication Skills and Conflict Management - they learnt to campaign for trash separation at a public event by approaching the public for a survey, then proceeding to teach the public about littering and trash separation
Teamwork skills - students were segmented into micro-units of 3 to manage each other and learn the different roles of a group
How to write and analyse the information, create recommendations and write a report which was successfully received by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the Ministry of Tourism
Results
This know-how was then leveraged to produce a report on public opinion and behaviour at the Win-Win memorial event.
Project-Based Learning for 30 young Cambodian students in research
Teaching Seminar hosted in soft skills for volunteers
389 + Cambodians were introduced to waste management awareness for the first time at the 3 day festival led by 30 Cambodian students
Impact on Waste Management Policy Advising for the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the Ministry of Tourism - you can find the student report here
Takeaways
CSR is widely viewed as a ‘tick-in-the-box’ for many organizations following compliance or for positive PR. A much needed ‘re-brand’ of CSR is needed for companies to put their hard-earned resources into more effective beneficial campaigns and this starts from having crystal clarity on the effects and measurement of the activities.
Despite these organizational and ‘branding’ challenges, when companies see the value in partnering with government and investing in STEM, things can shift in a positive direction which could mean a brighter tomorrow for all Cambodians.