Contact Person: Venerable. Thorn Vandong, Executive Director
Address: # 05, Street 07, Nokorbachey temple, Ampile village, Ampil Commune, Kampong Siem District, Kampong Cham province, Cambodia
Telephone: 042 69 00 498; 012-788-973
Email: bsdaoffice@gmail.com and vandong.thorn@gmail.com
Website: www.bsda-cambodia.org
On January 5, 2005, seven Buddhist monks at Wat Nokor Bachey in Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia established the Buddhism and Society Development Association (BSDA), officially recognized by the Ministry of Interior as an independent, neutral, impartial and non-political NGO. A six-member board of directors supports the work of the organization through the overall leadership of the Venerable Vandong Thorn.
Since then, it has grown to include volunteer workers and supporters from various public stakeholders, including monks, students, intellectuals, teachers, lawyers and civil servants, who all desire a better Cambodian society. By strengthening and improving social accountability and good governance, BSDA aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of the poorest of the poor and bring about social development among the target communities.
BSDA has the cooperation and support of local and international NGOs, as well as local authorities, government institutions and other stakeholders in Kampong Cham province. BSDA is a member of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability – East Asia & Pacific (ANSA – EAP) and KHANA. The Executive Director of BSDA is the President of Civil Society Network Against Child Labor Organization in Kampong Cham. The organization is also a member of K-NAN network in Kampong Cham.
In partnership with the government, Aid Agency, UN, International Organization Foreign Embassies and NGOs, BSDA is currently implementing programs in five areas: education; health; orphans and vulnerable children; community development and agriculture technical support; and Social Accountability. Its governance work included efforts to push for citizen engagement through participatory planning, especially for the Right to Information Act. It also worked with stakeholders to enhance the implementation of decentralization and good governance at the communal level as means to fight against corruption.
As part of its Education Program, BSDA runs the “Improving Basic Education in Cambodia Program (IBECP)” and “Mekong Kampuchea Kid’s Project” that provide livelihood trainings and life skills outreach to schools and communities. BSDA works in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), as well as schools and local groups and communities to achieve its goals under this program. For health, BSDA focuses its efforts on reaching the truly impoverished orphans, families and street children and educating them on important issues such as HIV/AIDS; drug addiction awareness and prevention; violence prevention; social and Buddhist morality, life skills and community development.
