The Cambodia Collaborative Fund.
Many persons with disabilities in Cambodia continue to face barriers to education, healthcare, employment, social protection, and participation in community life.
Organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) play an important role in supporting their communities and advocating for disability justice. However, many disability-led organisations struggle to access funding and resources.
About the Cambodia Collaborative Fund.
The Cambodia Collaborative Fund seeks to address the long-standing barriers faced by Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) through participatory grant-making approaches that prioritize trust, accessibility, shared decision-making, peer learning, and movement strengthening.
This approach provides funding directly to Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and supports them to decide together how resources are used, what activities are prioritised, and how they can strengthen the disability movement in Cambodia.
Since 2024, the fund has supported Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) across Kampong Speu, Kampong Cham, and Tbong Khmum provinces to work together, learn from one another, and build stronger organisations and networks.
Journey of the Cambodia Collaborative Fund.
The first phase of the fund took place between 2024 and 2025 and supported 13 Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in Kampong Speu and Kampong Cham provinces.
The organisations led activities focused on disability justice awareness, social protection, inclusive livelihoods, leadership development, and advocacy with local authorities.
Through the fund Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) themselves met to learn from one another through workshops and learning forums where they shared their own experiences and skills.
“Through my past experiences, the Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) implement activities following the rules and needs of donors. In this design workshop, our Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) network had the power to make decisions ourselves and design project activities based on our own priorities. I never thought I would have such an opportunity before.”
Ou Sombo, Executive Director, Disabled People Organisation Representative Kampong Speu
Many participants said the fund gave them an opportunity to reconnect, learn together, and support one another after years of working with limited resources.
The learning and sharing forums helped Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) leaders build confidence in areas such as leadership, facilitation, financial management, advocacy, and organisational development.
As the programme developed, more and more sessions were led by Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) representatives themselves, helping strengthen leadership within the disability movement.
“This workshop gave Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) the opportunity to make decisions together and support one another through collective planning and shared responsibility. Flexible funding is more effective because it helps us respond to real situations and community needs.”
Soy Sokhorn, Executive Director, Representative Self Help Disabilities Organization
The second phase of the Cambodia Collaborative Fund
Following the success of the first phase, participating organisations decided to expand the fund and invite an additional disability organisation from Tbong Khmum province to join.
The second phase now supports 13 organisations of persons with disabilities and one self-help group across Kampong Speu, Kampong Cham, and Tbong Khmum provinces.
Together, they have identified priorities including strengthening disability organisations, improving access to social protection and livelihoods, building leadership skills, and increasing collaboration with local authorities.
“The participatory process increased my confidence in leadership and collective decision-making. I believe this approach will continue strengthening the disability movement and create more positive change for persons with disabilities in our communities.”
Khun Vannet, Executive Director, Women and Children with Disabilities Forum
The organisations continue to make decisions together about how funding is used and how the programme develops.
What has changed?
Through the Collaborative Fund, participating organisations and activists report:
- Greater confidence in leadership and decision-making.
- Stronger collaboration between disability organisations.
- Improved organisational systems and accountability.
- Better understanding of financial management and safeguarding.
- Increased engagement with local authorities.
- More opportunities for persons with disabilities to access services and social protection.
- Stronger participation of women with disabilities and other groups who are often excluded.
Many activists have also highlighted the value of learning from one another and being trusted to make decisions about funding and priorities. They have the decision-making power and decided how resources are allocated, identified their own priorities, and decided on activities and projects based on the needs of their communities.
Find Out more
PARTICIPATORY GRANT-MAKING
Participatory grant-making is a different approach to giving out money as grants where the people receiving the money also get to say how much is given to whom, and how it is spent.
MTIRIRIKO – ADD’S STRATEGY
We named our strategy mtiririko which means ‘flow’ in Swahili because we want to see resources flow to disability justice movements as result of the work that we all do.