Target Area: The Roeul Commune

The Roeul Commune is situated about 30 km NW of Siem Reap, 10 km north of the highway A6 from Siem Reap to Bangkok. The commune covers an area of about 80 km² and counts 14 villages with a total of about 16,000 inhabitants. From the highway A6 there is about 10 km  gravel road up onto the community center, from there all connecting roads are from rammed soil and in the monsoon season sometimes in extremely bad condition.

Map of Roeul Commune

In 2013 the electricity power network along the main raod was extended to the commune center. Water leads and sewer systems for waist water are not available.
The water for daily use comes from drilled wells  in the average shared by two families. However, this water is not of drinking quality, and only one thrird of the families owns a ceramic water filter for purification.

About half of the 3000 families live in very simple huts, on poles to protect against flooding, with a roof of palm leaves. The "better houses" at least have a roof from zinc plates and only a few have brick walls and a roof with tiles. About a quarter of the houses has an outside toilet, which is in general nothing more than a hole in the ground, covered by a toilet plate and a small shed built over it, to guarantee some privacy. Many people are therefore not familiar with basic hygienic behaviour.

The table shows some data from the Roeul Commune. As a result of the Khmer Rouge catastrophe, the number of people younger than 18 is about 48%.

 The average family counts 5 persons, the average income per family is $ 50 per month.