When Battambang rice farmer Roeum Socheat stepped on to the stage at an awards ceremony hosted in the illustrious surroundings of the Royal Geographical Society, a stone’s throw from the Royal Albert Hall in London’s most affluent neighbourhood Kensington, he could barely have been further from home – culturally and geographically.
Wearing a red and blue krama – a nod to his roots – neatly tied over his smart-casual attire, and needing a translator to communicate with the doting audience, Socheat looked just as at home collecting his Volunteer Impact Award 2019 as he does in his usual surroundings – the rice fields of Raingkesei Agricultural Community.
He was one of the five winners among 100 nominees from 25 developing countries, receiving the award from international NGO Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO) for his work with the community, a rare success story for agriculture in Cambodia.
In full: https://southeastasiaglobe.com/cambodian-farmer-wins-volunteer-impact-award/
