The sewing skills training, focusing on the poorest women in Kandal province, started in 1999 with financial support from private donors. In 2001-2002, the project secured fund from the Direct Aid Programme of the Austrian Embassy in Phnom Penh. In 2003-2004, the project sought financial assistance from Women’s International Group and Latter-Day Saint Charities. Between 2001 and 2004, KAD completed 7 courses and provided training for 468 trainees in sewing, cutting, measuring, and pattern making skills. The project objective is to create both employment and self-employment for vulnerable rural girls and women.

In 2009-2010, the project was supported by Pro-Victim Foundation, and was focusing on beer promotion, night club, karaoke, restaurant, and bar girls. 80 girls are now attending the sewing training course. The general objective is to restore the honour, dignity and quality of life of beer promotion, night club, karaoke, restaurant and bar girls.  The specific objective is to create new, dignified income-generating employment and self-employment for them. Their family members (women and men) are also the project beneficiaries.

The results and impacts included:

• Several hundred poor girls and women and beer promotion girls living in rural areas got access to sewing training classes, obtained income-generating skills and received both employment and self-employment;
• The girls and women avoided having to move away from their home villages to find a job, thereby avoiding the risks of HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, sexual harassment, rape and prostitution;
• Sustainable development: the girls’ and women’s newly acquired skills allowed them to receive regular income to feed their families and pay for school fees of their children, sisters and brothers and to be used for health care and for other purposes, such as participating in community development.