Phorng Kdem: Leading the Tampuan People with Nurturing Leadership
In Cambodia’s remote Ratanakiri province, Commune Chief Phorng Kdem blends tradition and progress, championing initiatives that empower the Tampuan people and inspire the next generation.
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24 January 2025, Banlung, Ratanakiri — Amid the lush forests and mirrored waters of Yeak Laom Lake, the land holds deep meaning for the Tampuan people, intertwining nature with their heritage. This deep connection to the land sets the stage for Phorng Kdem’s inspiring leadership. Here, in Cambodia’s remote northeastern province, Kdem leads with purpose. As a Tampuan leader, she works tirelessly to improve lives, tackling malnutrition and promoting nurturing care for children. By blending traditional wisdom with modern solutions, Kdem brings hope to 942 families in her community.
Starting as a community outreach officer with a local NGO, she worked tirelessly to give children a healthy, fair start in life. Her journey of leadership continued to evolve, leading her to greater responsibilities. Now, as the chief of Yeak Laom commune, she champions initiatives that blend tradition with progress, empowering the Tampuan community and nurturing future generations.
At 36, Phorng Kdem moves through her village with confidence and purpose. Her role as a leader extends beyond her local community. As a representative of the Tampuan people, one of Cambodia's indigenous groups, she embodies their proud heritage through her strength, intelligence, and commitment. According to the 2019 government census, the Tampuan community numbers 36,373 out of nearly half a million in the country's ethnic minority population, contributing vibrant cultural depth to Cambodia.
In 2022, Kdem achieved a historic milestone as the first indigenous woman appointed by the government to lead Sangkat Yeak Laom as commune chief. She is one of just four women serving as commune chiefs in all of Ratanakiri, making her role even more significant. Now, she oversees a population of 4,000 people, including 300 young children—a significant responsibility rarely entrusted to women in the region. It is a role she embraces with pride.
Her commune, Yeak Laom, is home to a pristine volcanic lake with waters so clear and cold they mirror the surrounding jungle—a place her people hold sacred. The lake is more than a body of water; it’s the heart of their traditions. One legend speaks of a giant who dug a deep pit to hide his daughter from an unwanted suitor; when the rains came, the pit became the lake. Another tells of a giant king’s daughter, who fled with her lover into the forest, praying to disappear. The ground sank, taking them with it, and rain filled the pit, creating Yeak Laom, literally meaning “surrounded by giants.” A third tale describes a couple who sacrificed themselves to protect their people, merging into the earth and giving rise to the lake. For Kdem, these stories are more than ancestral whispers—they are guiding truths that root her leadership in a rich tradition and an urgent call for progress.
Kdem’s journey began long before she took office. Growing up in a family of basket weavers and farmers, she learned early the value of hard work and education, a rare path in a community where 68 per cent of girls marry by age 15, according to the latest Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey. Balancing her roles as wife, mother, and leader, she walks a path that inspires others to dream beyond tradition.
Her first formal step into community work came in the early 2000s when she volunteered with International Cooperation Cambodia (ICC). This role allowed her to write educational stories aimed at empowering local children. These weren’t just stories; they were lifelines, guiding the community’s youngest through lessons on literacy, hygiene, and life skills. Her dedication led to a staff position at ICC, where she focused on literacy and health, particularly Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs. However, in 2012, Kdem made the difficult decision to resign from ICC to care for her newborn daughter, dedicating several years to family life and a small business before returning to community work.
Throughout her career, her husband—a high school sweetheart and NGO worker—has stood as her pillar of support. “I couldn’t do this without him,” she shares. “I want my protégé to find a man like him—one who respects her dreams and stands by her side.” This partnership, grounded in respect, has fueled her drive to create a better future for her village.
In 2017, Kdem took on a new challenge—stepping up as the Commune Focal Point for Women and Children to lead the Parenting programme in her ethnic community. It was a big responsibility, but she embraced it with determination, knowing that small changes in parenting could transform a child’s future.
Her work continues to evolve. In 2023, UNICEF supported the government in launching the Nurturing Care Parenting (NCP) Package, a new curriculum aligned with the Nurturing Care Framework. This curriculum enhances the programme with the latest evidence-based strategies to promote children’s holistic development during the early years. Kdem is one of 700 community leaders being trained under the programme, funded by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) through 2026. As a community champion, Kdem trains and coaches other change agents – including community health workers, preschool teachers, village chiefs, and social workers to ensure that children in her community not only survive but thrive.
Today, Kdem is more than a leader—she’s a mentor, nurturing the next generation of frontline workers. She guides younger officials—who were once in her shoes—helping them educate and connect with families who need support the most. With funding from ANCP, the NCP equips parents and caregivers with the latest practical tools, knowledge, and confidence to give their children the strongest foundation in life. By blending traditional child-rearing wisdom with new, evidence-based methods, the programme helps children grow in every way—cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally.
Kdem has seen the real impact of these efforts, not only in her community but in her own home. “As I see how this programme has helped my two daughters and so many other children, NCP has become one of my top priorities. I want to make sure every child in the three villages I represent has an equal chance at a strong start in life,” she said.
Her work is part of a larger national effort. The NCP Package is now a key initiative under UNICEF’s Country Programme for Cambodia (2024–2028), implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and other key ministries. With continued support from partners like the Australian Government, early childhood development remains at the heart of Cambodia’s efforts to build stronger, healthier communities.
For Kdem, this isn’t just a programme—it’s her duty, as a leader and a mother, to give every child a head start in life.
The programme’s arrival came at a critical time. In Ratanakiri, where poverty and malnutrition loom large, progressive parenting education was essential.
As Commune Chief, Kdem now leads workshops across seven villages, witnessing firsthand the positive changes in families’ and children’s lives. “The children are more engaged, and the parents more confident,” she notes. “Families are drawing strength from one another.” However, challenges remain. Some families, for instance, those affected by alcoholism, are harder to reach and transform. “It’s not easy to get everyone involved,” Kdem admits, “but we keep trying.” Her team collaborates with the Village Health Support Group in organising monthly sessions for parents in the villages.
Through her leadership, Kdem has become a powerful symbol of change in Ratanakiri province. As one of only four female Commune Chiefs in the entire province, she has shattered traditional gender barriers and inspired a new generation of women leaders. Her impact extends far beyond administrative duties – she's reshaping deep-rooted cultural norms. Under her guidance, men in the community have embraced more equitable roles, from sharing household responsibilities to actively participating in childcare. “We make decisions together—building roads, ensuring clean water,” she says with pride.
Kdem isn’t just a leader; she’s a mentor and an advocate for women’s empowerment. Her two daughters have big dreams—the eldest hopes to become a police officer, the youngest a doctor. “Education opens doors,” she insists. “I want every girl here to have choices.”
Ratanakiri’s roads are winding, often muddy and difficult to travel, especially during monsoon season, yet they are a constant reminder of the obstacles Kdem faces. Undeterred, she journeys along these paths, reaching families in isolated areas. On a recent visit to check on a mother caring for her child with Down syndrome, she noticed an elderly man struggling to eat rice due to his diabetes. Without hesitation, she arranged for him to receive support through social services. For Kdem, leadership goes beyond titles; it’s about caring for each person in her community.
It’s lunchtime, and Kdem sways gently in a hammock at one of the wooden restaurants at Yeak Laom, now an ecotourism site, her dark brown eyes drifting over the pristine, emerald lake. As the sun casts a warm glow over the water, she feels the presence of her ancestors rise from its depths, filling her with strength and grounding her in her mission. Each act of leadership she makes forges a legacy of unity and progress for future generations of indigenous children.
"We are stronger when we lead together," Kdem says, her voice steady with conviction. "Our children deserve a future where they are nurtured and where women don’t just dream—they make the change," she adds with a warm, determined smile that speaks of her belief in the strength of community and the power of women’s leadership.
