Battambang Province used to be a cotton producing area. There were also textile mills. The soil is suitable for cotton cultivation. Can we turn the minefields into cotton fields and revive the industry lost during the genocide and civil war with the new generation? Cambodia is dependent on imports from other countries for everything, so we chose cotton, which is suitable for cultivation, because we wondered if we could raise the self-sufficiency rate of clothing in Cambodia through cotton cultivation.

During the course of the project, however, we realized something important. That is that cotton is a plant that has profoundly changed the nature of modern society. Using cotton as a starting point, many of the problems of today's distorted global economy and environmental pollution that have persisted since the British Industrial Revolution come vividly to light.

How can we establish a cotton-based industry in Battambang Province without repeating the same mistakes? Trial and error is still ongoing.

Battambang Province in Cambodia is a unique region. It is a condensation of Cambodia's tragic modern history, and even today, the negative aspects of human nature remain strong. Is there any way to reduce this negative legacy?

In Cambodia, there was a genocide by the Pol Pot regime, unprecedented in human history, and a civil war that lasted more than 20 years between the same ethnic groups.

Battambang Province was the scene of fierce civil war until the end. It still has the largest number of landmines remaining in the world.

People who lost all their families and relatives and came to Battambang from all over Cambodia to refugee camps in Thailand have lived there since then. Former soldiers who fought to the last as part of the Pol Pot regime's army also live there.

After growing raw cotton, how do you convert it into money and create jobs for rural people?　Cambodia Cotton Club is training human resources from scratch. Rural women who have never had the opportunity to learn are the creators. Even those with no experience at all can grow cotton.

But we realized that we would not be regaining lost human resources if we did not get involved in the product manufacturing process beyond that point.

Creating a saleable product is not reproducible without knowledge. Basic knowledge of science and math is essential for this purpose. We are not just workers, but we use our bodies and five senses to learn while making products, and we learn while making products. We value that reciprocal movement. The purpose is to bring back human resources.

Representative: Chanray Ron

Atsushi Furusawa is the initiator of the project but is a sponsor for women's independence and has no name or position on the organization's roster.

We are declining your donation. The objective of this project is to develop human resources. We are using the money we earn to train ourselves.

Received an award from King Norodom Sihamoni, the former head of state of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the Ministry of Industry and Crafts in a nationally televised ceremony for reviving the textile industry in Battambang.

JICA
Mitsubishi Corporation
Asian Development Bank

TV, many newspapers

Numerous junior high schools, high schools, universities, business schools, local governments, corporations, etc.