Cambodia Indigenous Youth Association (CIYA) is the only indigenous youth network registered and active in Cambodia at both the grass-root and national levels. It was formed in 2005 by a group of indigenous people’s students and officially registered under the Ministry of Interior in 2008. CIYA’s vision is to see indigenous peoples are strong, prosperous, and able to protect their natural resources, traditions, cultures, and rights. Developing the capacity of indigenous youths, who are the key human resources and future of the indigenous people, will help contribute towards sustaining their traditional livelihoods. Its mission is to 1/ consolidate all indigenous youths of both sexes studying in Phnom Penh and other provinces towards building a solid network. This will help strengthen their solidarity and allow them to build strong capacities, empowering them as the future generation of the indigenous communities they represent and 2/ helping indigenous communities in ensuring the protection and security of their land and natural resources to improve their livelihood and access to healthcare and to maintain their identities such as custom, tradition, beliefs, and languages. 

Phum Asia Youth Center was established in 2014 to give a chance to young community people looking for an opportunity to continue their education. Phum Asia is the place for everyone who wants to skill them up, continue their public school, and learn digital things. 

In 2014, a group of young community had already left the school and would like to be back to school. Still, they can’t afford to pay the rental fee, food costs, and transportation, so I and the other Cambodian professors, Community leaders collaborate with Japanese professors, who decided to establish a center in town called Phum Asia Center. 

The main purpose of the Center is to share opportunities for education to all. The Activities of Phum Asia Center now: teaching digital to rural students, traditional dance training and performance for the community, and providing entrepreneurial skills.  

Digital Literacy Education for Kui IP project aims to see young Kui indigenous people and their community can use digital skills with security for their daily work to improve their access to information, improve their livelihood, and conserve their cultural identity. It intends and promotes its community activities, products, and services to develop its community. To address the issues faced by young rural students from the indigenous community that lack opportunity in access to basic skills of digital literacy, this project is to create opportunities for young Kui indigenous people, the rural student in Kampong Thom province to strengthen their capacity for soft skill training, and community performance program to maintain their traditional dancing and concept of entrepreneurship. Young Kui people who live in the most remote areas will have the opportunity to strengthen their life skills and knowledge to compete with other privileged young people in the city for employment. This inclusive education is not based on teaching methods but more on practice. The project is designed for rural youth to learn and know their rights to access safety information and how to use digital for their education and the community. The best practice of this inclusive educational model will be captured to amplify and scale out in other communities. The 12-month project will be self-sustained by the digital library project, where IP candidates can continue their work by adding information to this platform. Everyone can learn and search for Kui IP to learn more about their culture, traditional skill, food, history, and products. This 12-month project is targeted to be conducted in 3 different villages of Kampong Thom province.