Cambodia - Rajana

Date Visited: April/May 2007
Local Language: Khmer

"Rajana" is the Khmer word for 'design'

The Rajana Association is an income generation and skills training project and is now a local NGO. It provides employment for many young Cambodians, rural and urban poor and other small producers.

Rajana was started in 1995 by the British International NGO South East Asian Outreach. The first shops were opened in Phnom Penh , followed by the Siem Reap shop in 2001. Rajana is now completely Khmer owned and run.

Happy-Hammock discovered Rajana whilst taking a breather from the intense heat of the Russian Market in Phnom Penh. We had been on the look out for the perfect gift cards.

Happy-Hammock was able to visit it’s main workshops above the shop in Phnom Penh. There were two levels, the first occupied by general office space and the card making area (see above) with the top floor occupied by the metal workshop (right).

Here they make many things including pendants made out of scrap metal such as old bomb shells. It seems fitting for a country who land is littered with these reminders of its past.

Rajana has 2 work shops, 1 in Phnom Penh and 1 in Siem Reap, where they employ c. 30 staff. They also work with c. 75 families in Cambodian villages.