[Stream of Consciousness - SC]

It is difficult and maybe even rare to discover someone or a group of people you like and want to work together with toward pursuing a common goal or purpose. I have found just that group of people whose energy, life and work values and principles, mindsets, and visions are very similar to mine. Yet, I don't think it is the right time to share my dream and start working on it with them. Why?

I don't have solid credibility in term experience, wealth, and success to really convince them to support what I want to do or influence the way they do things yet. They are already very experienced with their work in agriculture and agriculture cooperative. They are also quite established with their business endeavor. They raised themselves up from poverty. I myself on the other hands am not up to their level yet. On a couple of occasions, I heard the head of the agriculture cooperative(AC) said, "You can't lead poor fa​rmers if you are also poor like them." Translated in Khmer, "ចង់ទៅដឹកនាំពួកគាត់បានទាល់យើងមានសេដ្ឋកិច្ចគ្រាន់បើដែរ។ បើយើងក្រដូចតែគាត់ដែរទេ ពិបាកទៅដឹកនាំគាត់ឱ្យគាត់ជឿហើយធ្វើតាមណាស់។" For me, this doesn't only apply to poor farmers, but I think it could also apply to the leadership team in the AC if I worked with them.

Their belief in Dr. Yong Saing Koma's teaching is very strong. Thus, they aren't very open to new ideas especially if they are from outside of the country. For example, it would be difficult for them to open up and study Muhammad Yunus's way of doing business, social business. At one point, I tried to introduce the head of the agriculture cooperative to the idea behind Dr. Yunus's social business, but I ended up hearing from him, "I don't think his thinking, Dr. Yunus's, is up to Dr. Koma's yet. Dr. Koma gave a lot of thoughts on it (agriculture and community in Cambodia). He also taught and led us to do many things." Reported in Khmer, "ខ្ញុំគិតថាគាត់គិតយ៉ាងណាក៏មិនទាន់ដល់លោកគ្រូកុមារដែរ។ លោកគ្រូកុមារបានគិតច្រើនណាស់ ហើយបានបណ្តុះបង្រៀននិងធ្វើជាមួយពួកខ្ញុំច្រើនទៀត។" I am not against Dr. Koma. I do admire, respect, and value his work. However, I think some of his work, approaches, or principles, which worked in the past might not still work in today local and global society. On top of what still work, I need to bring in new trends and ideas and localize them to fit our national and regional context. I need to teach by example.

If I decided to work with them after my contract with Cambodia Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture, it would be difficult to negotiate with them so that I can run my own vegetable business independently the way I want to within their community. So far, they only thought about​ hiring me to work for them.

Even if they agreed to let me run my own vegetable business the way I want to independently, I think I will still be hearing different negative thoughts and feel various negative energies around me. That might jeopardize my drive and positivity to start up and follow through with my vision. I need to be surrounded by positive people or energy especially when I just started. It is crucial to keep me in the quest.

Draft Not Included

Social Business Mindset -

Entrepreneurial Mindset and Work Ethic - they started as poor people, decided to take control over their own life instead of blaming anyone or the circumstance, took actions one step at a time to find a way to educate themselves, and worked very hard to become who they are today.

Expansion Potential - the work that they are doing can be scaled up, both the impact and profit, to spread the operation in other areas and help solve more problems for the underserved, marginalized, and underprivileged groups of people.