Case study | Rajana Association

–Overview
Rajana is a non-profit Fair Trade association making traditional Cambodian art products from local materials. It provides employment and skill training for rural and urban poor and other small producers. Rajanas products are made in its workshops or in villages around Cambodia. Rajana also supports other small handicraft organizations who cannot afford to have their own outlet. Rajana has 44 workers including admin/management team, 75% of them women. They have five outlets and two workshops in Cambodia. They also support 130 families in villages by marketing their products. Rajanas products are exported to many countries. Rajana is registered with the Cambodian government as a local association; a non-profit group owned by its members.

–Background and challenge
In Cambodia, as in other poor countries, it’s extremely hard for the underpriviledged people to get rid of their vicious circle and start making surplus with what they do for living and so improve their living conditions. This is because they don’t have education or training or financial support to get their business started.

–Company development
Rajana was established as a project by a UK charity called Southeast Asian Outreach (SAO). SAO was founded in 1973 by a Cambodian Christian called Chhirc Taing who was studying in the UK. He appealed to the British Church to help Cambodia. SAO was registered with the Cambodian Government as an International NGO in 1991. In 1995 Marie Hill (from SAO) founded Rajana using Cambodian young people whom she had met while working in the Refugee Camps in Thailand.
Rajana got support from SAO from 1995 to 2000. In 2000 it got self-funding and registered at the Ministry of Interior and Municipality as a legal Rajana Association (as a local NGO). The association is now under Cambodian management. Organization structure of Rajana is as following: 1. board directors, 2. general manager, 3. shop manager, 4. team leader/representatives of producers group in workshops and villages, 5. artisans.

–Social benefits for employees
Rajana aims to give young, underprivileged Cambodian people the opportunity to be trained in the production and marketing of contemporary craft. Rajana provides employment with fair wages and a safe work environment where people have opportunity for professional development. Workers in the workshops can get salary increase each year, extra bonus on major public holidays and training skills such as design, sewing technique, computer, management/leadership, marketing or English lesson courses. They have the Occupational Health and safety insurance, but not home based producers or producers in the villages. This issue will be discussed in Rajana in future.

–Comparison with Artisans d'Angkor

Similarities

• Both organizations offers vocational education
• promotes cambodian cultural heritage
• occupation
• shared ownership by employees
• becoming role model for future Cambodian corporations.

Differences

• Business non-profit
• Retail-only business model
• Fair trade driven operation
• Initiated by a Cambodian
• Moderate price range (for tourists, expensive for locals)

– Reference
Rajana cambodia Art and crafts. [http://www.rajanacrafts.org], retrieved Apr 21, 2010.