MANNA4LIFE

STRATEGIC
PLAN
2016 2018
LOVE
RELATE
SERVE

The Story of the Blue Tarp Village

Tang Khiev
In January 2009, in the heart of Phnom Penh, the residents of the Dey Krahorm community
were rudely awakened by bulldozers which were there to demolish their homes (albeit slum
homes). Their land had been sold to a construction company. They could only collect a few of
their belongings, before they were transported out of the city to a relocation site 22km west of
Phnom Penh.
Approximately nine months later, in the middle of the night, they were again violently
evicted. This time they were sent to an empty field 38 km north of Phnom Penh, in a city called
Oudong. This is where the Tang Khiev community was established. Tang Khiev stands for Blue
Tarp as the field had no housing and the villagers were forced to live under blue
tarpaulins. Along with no housing they had no (or very limited access to) food, clean water,
medical facilities, schooling or work opportunities.
Subsequently, nearly all of the people live in extreme poverty, 85% are illiterate and the median
household income is $13/week.
Despite these hardships, the families have slowly been re-building their lives with assistance
from Manna4Life. They are now building tenacious hope for the future.

Manna4Lifes Story and Values

The Manna4Life founders and leadership team consist of a local Cambodian
woman, Leakhena Phan Knight and her Canadian husband Kevin Knight. In
May 2011, they formed this Cambodian NGO. They dedicated their hearts
to the village when Kevin witnessed the first eviction, in January 2009. He
immediately went back to Canada, packed his belongings and moved to
Cambodia. Leakhenas heart has always been with helping the poor. Being
a local, she has a true understanding of the needs and culture of the
people. She has had considerable charity experience with World Vision,
Precious Women and Develop Our Village Economy (DOVE). Kevin and
Leakhena are volunteers who have lived within the community since 2011,
to better understand those they are trying to help.
Manna4Lifes Mission
By living within, and working alongside the Tang Khiev community, we will
help them rebuild their village through initial emergency relief and ongoing
holistic community development and advocacy.
Manna4Lifes Vision
To empower the poor and oppressed through encouragement, resources,
education and skills - so that they may have the tools to improve their own
lives and that of their community.
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Strategy
1. Arm individuals with the tools to break
the cycle of generational poverty

2. Develop a safe, united, healthy,

sustainable community

3. Continue to build Manna4Life as a

reputable and respectable organisation

1.1 Schooling and

empowerment for children

2.1 - Have a unified

community vision, focusing
on sustainability, governed
by a local leadership
committee

3.1 - Manna4Life team to

strive for continual
development of the team,
policies and procedures

1.2 Education, vocational

training, employment and
empowerment for adults

2.2 - Provide housing,

access to medical services,
clean water and nutritious
food

3.2 - Maximize engagement

with, and feedback to,
supporters

1. Arm individuals with the tools to break the cycle of generational poverty
1.1 Schooling and empowerment for children

Achieved to date:
Current school:
Government accredited school for years 1 4 built in the village and running at a level that
exceeds the national standard. The Government School runs in the morning (Maths, Science,
Khmer Language) and Supplemental School in the afternoon (Sport, Art, Music, Environmental
Care)
140 students regularly attend, with a 95% attendance rate
Dedicated staff members are employed for community liaison and social work
All school policies and procedures are in place (in Khmer and English)
Support has been provided to 4 village children to attend university
New school:
Land has been purchased for a new school building
The design of the building has been finalised.
Activities in 2016:
Build a dividing wall to demarcate an extra school room to extend the existing school to year 5
Provide equipment and resources for the new class
Create an educational fund to the support village children to attend university.

Goals by 2018:
To complete the new school building and be fully operational for primary school years 1 8.
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1. Arm individuals with the tools to break the cycle of generational poverty
1.2 Education, vocational training, employment and empowerment for adults

Achieved to date:
Daily English and computing classes/courses offered to the youth and adults in extended
community (95 students/day)
Land has been purchased for a training and education centre and the building is 90% completed
5 - 15 men employed within the village construction team (contractual work)
18 teachers and teachers assistants employed (3 staff from the community)
Supported individuals in microenterprise with microfinance (e.g. sewing businesses).
Activities in 2016:
Continue to provide English and Computing classes
Continue to provide employment within school and construction teams
Aquaponics and greenhouse pilot project to be started
Employ an additional teacher and teachers aid for the extra school class
Training and education centre building to be completed
Model for capacity building classes and womens program to be devised.
Goals by 2018:
Continue to provide English and Computing classes
The following job creation projects to be operational:
1. Farm project, including hydroponics and aquaponics
2. Kitchen and feeding program for the school
3. Womens vocational training and education program to be set up within the training and
education centre, with the goal to provide skills and opportunities for self-employment
4. Construction work to continue on an as needs basis
Capacity building classes, such as literacy, money management, gender equality training and
empowerment classes to be a part of all employment and job training programs within the village
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Womens support and empowerment groups offered.

2. Develop a safe, united, healthy, sustainable community

2.1 Have a unified community vision, focusing on sustainability, governed by a local
leadership committee

Achieved to date:
A united community vision; Manna4Life's initial interaction with the Tang Khiev community in
2011, involved organising a visionary meeting to look at the assets and resources within the
community (both human and physical). Following this, the current and future needs of the
community were discussed.
Recognising the desire of the community to drive change from within, Manna4Life assisted the
community early on to identify and form a local leadership committee. This committee
consists of five women and five men (Tang Khiev locals) who consult with the community to
make decisions about the communitys future, its needs and its goals.
Activities in 2016:
Elections for new leadership committee.
Goals by 2018:
Continued Governance from a local leadership committee
Shares available to be bought for farm project and to be Government by a local board of
directors.

2. Develop a safe, united, healthy, sustainable community

2.2 Provide housing, access to medical services, clean water and nutritious food

Achieved to date:
All community members have adequate housing - 93 Cambodian-style houses, complete with
toilets, have been built by the locals
Land security has been attained, with land titles issued by the Government for all current sites
Clean water provided for the community via construction of a water filtration system, which stores
24,000 litres of potable water
2 hectares of land has been acquired for the farming project
Farm storage centre is 80% constructed
School kitchen is 80% completed and equipped
All villagers have access to medical services through weekly visits from Licadho (HR organisation)
and Sihanoukville Hospital.
Activities in 2016:
Complete construction of farm storage centre
Complete construction of one greenhouses and commence aquaponics agriculture
Commence operation of the school kitchen.
Goals by 2018:
Ensure all houses continue to meet the needs of the people
Have a fully functioning aquaponics and hydroponics farming system to provide food for the
community, the school feeding program and eventually to sell to restaurants in Phnom Penh
Have a fully operational school kitchen, providing a nutritious meal to students each school day.
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3. Continue to build Manna4Life as a reputable and respectable organisation

3.1 Manna4Life team to strive for continual development of the team, policies and
procedures

Achieved to date:
Manna4Life Board in Cambodia and Canada
Manna4Life team live within the village
Manna4Life continue to support and facilitate the work of the local leadership committee
Regular upskilling provided for all staff
All policies and procedures developed for the school in English and Khmer
External monitoring and feedback from Global Development Group (GDG Australia) and The Great
Commission Stories (TGCS Canada).
Activities in 2016:
Mentoring provided to Manna4Life co-founders
Manna4Life co-founders to attend GDG symposium on April 16
All school staff to attend professional development course in Sihanoukville
Manna4Life staff to meet monthly with local leadership committee
Continued monitoring by GDG and TGCS.
Goals by 2018:
Training commenced from Manna4Life co-founders to their Cambodian successors
Policies and procedures developed for all new projects
Yearly revision of existing policies and procedures.
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3. Continue to build Manna4Life as a reputable and respectable organisation

3.2 Maximise engagement with, and feedback to, supporters

Achieved to date:
Manna4Life has an administration team of 4 people (volunteers)
Ongoing updates to supporters via weekly Facebook posts (500 followers), quarterly e-mail
updates (200 receivers) and yearly child sponsorship updates (40 sponsors)
Teams visited from the UK, New Zealand and Canada
Fundraising events have been completed in Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Alliance formed with Vision Trust to supply additional funding for the supplemental school.
Activities in 2016:
Ongoing updates to supporters via weekly Facebook, email and child sponsorship updates
Continue to update webpage
Fundraising and awareness raising events to be completed in Singapore, Australia and New
Zealand.
Goals by 2018:
Expand the administration team to 6 volunteers
Increase revenue from $136K per annum to $200K per annum internationally through fundraising
and the child sponsorship program
Increase current supporters to 1000 on Facebook, 400 on e-mail and 200 child sponsors
Have the supplemental school fully funded by Vision Trust.

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We whole heartedly thank you for sharing this journey with us

and we look forward to updating you on our progress.