Adapting the Participatory Approach for Poverty Reduction in Rural Cambodia: The Need for Creative Hybridization

Cambodia remains one of the poorest countries in Asia. The Cambodian government has declared poverty reduction as its top development priority. Many NGOs have stepped in to help the rural population improve living conditions by means of increased participation in economic activity. Driven by international donors' agendas, most Cambodian NGOs claim to embrace the participatory approach to development in combination with use of microfinance. Through investigating a Cambodian NGO's approach to poverty reduction, this case study inspired critical reflection on the implications of adapting an exogenous vision to the rural-development context. The reported findings highlight localization of key elements of the participatory approach applied by the studied Cambodian NGO, including "community- based development" in the form of social enterprises, "self-reliance" in the form of self-help groups, and "participatory democracy" limited to the village level. The key theoretical principles of the participatory approach omitted by the local NGO featured in this study include: integrating indigenous knowledge, incorporating local voices throughout the development process, and addressing structural barriers that hinder full grassroots participation. A key lesson is that practitioners need to find the right mix of strategies and tactics called for in each unique development context. The author concludes with a list of thought-provoking questions intended to guide exploration of ways to adapt the participatory approach for poverty reduction in situ without compromising desired emancipatory goals. The need for creative hybridization merits particular consideration.