Schools and communities across the Cambodian capital began harvesting organic produce on Sunday as part of a nationwide mobilisation effort to provide fresh food supplies to frontline forces and civilians displaced by ongoing border tensions.
The “Together for the Nation” initiative, spearheaded by the First Lady Lok Chumteav Dr. Pich Chanmony Hun Manet, Commissioner General of the Girl Guides Association of Cambodia has seen a rapid expansion of vegetable gardens in pagodas, schools, and private households.
“I am deeply moved by this national movement to support our heroic soldiers and police,” Dr. Chanmony said during a harvesting ceremony at Phnom Penh Thmey Primary School. “This spirit of ‘One Khmer’ ensures that those defending our territorial integrity and those in safety camps have access to fresh, safe, and chemical-free food.”
According to Phnom Penh Governor H.E. Khuong Sreng, more than 170 schools within the capital’s jurisdiction have participated in the cultivation programme.
Produce harvested on Sunday is scheduled for immediate transport to frontline positions and displacement camps. Beyond schools, the movement has integrated provincial authorities and religious centres, with some safety camps even establishing their own onsite gardens to ensure self-sufficiency.
The initiative reflects a strategic effort to maintain morale on the “rear front” while providing logistical support to the military.
Directors from local primary schools, including Phnom Penh Thmey and Kok Banchoan, reported that teachers and students have been working collectively to grow the crops as a gesture of national solidarity.
“The rear front stands firmly in support of those at the front lines,” local educators stated during the harvest.
