The FRA set up a vocational training center in Poipet in July 2001 aimed at helping local youngsters cultivate practical skills to improve their job prospects. The center has since offered free instruction in sewing, weaving, handicraft, computer, as well as English, Khmer and painting lessons.



1.FRA Learning Courses:
Each training program lasts around six months. These programs have covered areas ranging from sewing, weaving, handcrafting and hairdressing to computer and English, Khmer and painting courses.
2.Basic Necessity Subsidy:
Many villagers were so poor that they would suffer from hunger if they failed to do odd jobs or beg on the street for one day. The FRA offered them basic necessities, such as cooking oil and rice, once the villagers opted for attending the FRA training courses, which would, unavoidably, prevent them from working or making money.
3.Business Assistance:
The Poipet city in Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province is a rural backwater, where there were no major industrial or commercial establishments. Most of the FRA trainees thus started home-based businesses after completing vocational training courses at the FRA center. From 2002, the FRA has offered interest-free loans to help those trainees with no money to start business. Most of the loans were used to purchase business equipment, such as haircut and hair-dressing tools, sewing machines, weaving machines and massage beds. The loans were repaid on monthly basis and the period lasts 18 months at the longest.
4.Giving out Clothes, Items and Benefit Haircuts:
After each commencement, the FRA Vocational Training Center usually sends the pieces produced by the trainees of the sewing and weaving classes to poorer villagers. Between April 2002 and De-cember 2009, a total of 9,400 pieces of clothes (including donated second-hand ones) were dis-tributed by the center.
5.Breakdown of Graduates of the FRA Center:
No
|
Sewing A
|
Sewing B
|
Weaving
|
Massage
|
Handcraft
|
Hair cutting
|
Grass-weaving
|
Computer
|
English
|
Paining
|
Total
|
1
|
18
|
13
|
7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
38
|
2
|
19
|
15
|
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
45
|
3
|
13
|
13
|
6
|
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40
|
4
|
16
|
10
|
4
|
11
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
41
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
8
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
|
31
|
6
|
14
|
3
|
0
|
4
|
7
|
|
|
|
|
|
28
|
7
|
12
|
8
|
0
|
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
20
|
8
|
8
|
11
|
0
|
|
0
|
15
|
|
|
|
|
34
|
9
|
4
|
6
|
7
|
|
0
|
9
|
|
|
|
|
26
|
10
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
|
|
|
12
|
11
|
6
|
3
|
2
|
|
1
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
16
|
12
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
|
1
|
|
7
|
|
|
|
12
|
13
|
4
|
8
|
2
|
|
2
|
|
3
|
1
|
|
|
20
|
14
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
|
1
|
|
1
|
5
|
|
|
14
|
15
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
|
0
|
|
0
|
12
|
|
|
14
|
16
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
1
|
|
0
|
18
|
5
|
|
25
|
17
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
|
2
|
|
0
|
16
|
8
|
|
29
|
18
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
8
|
|
26
|
19
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
2
|
0
|
17
|
20
|
1
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
24
|
1
|
0
|
29
|
21
|
0
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
20
|
0
|
6
|
29
|
22
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
27
|
0
|
1
|
29
|
23
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
15
|
3
|
0
|
18
|
24
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
1
|
1
|
20
|
25
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
3
|
0
|
20
|
26
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
16
|
5
|
1
|
25
|
27
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
5
|
1
|
7
|
28
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
3
|
44
|
29
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
0 |
8
|
30
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Total
|
126
|
104
|
82
|
31
|
24
|
25
|
17
|
212
|
51
|
13
|
685
|
(Note: Blanks mean classes not open)
|