Age: 18
From: Orphanage Center of Pursat Province
Major: Electrical Engineering
School: Norton University
I come from Pursat Province. My father passed away from an illness. Currently, my mother still lives there with my youngest sister and grandmother, but both of my other sisters are in high school and live in an orphanage in Pursat. My mother filled out all the documents required to send my two sisters and me to the Pursat orphanage, so that we could get a good education. By sending us there, my mother was able to cut back on our expenses and save some money. She always sent my siblings and me extra spending money. And she often visited us in the orphanage with my youngest sister. My mother has always worked tirelessly to provide for our family, ever since my father passed away. She works a hectare of land, which my grandma sold to her. She allowed my mom to pay her back in small increments, so that she could afford it. My mother also sells some household goods to make a living. She sends some extra money to my sisters in the orphanage. During the rainy season, my mom farms like everyone else but she doesn’t have any water buffalo or other farm hands to help her.
I was in the orphanage from 2010 to 2015. I left once I passed my 12th grade national exam. I didn’t do very well (I passed with a D), but I was still chosen by an organization called Asia Aspeca to study in Phnom Penh. At the same time,
Global Children Cambodia also offered me a scholarship to study in Phnom Penh. After consulting with my family and a trusted advisor of mine, Hun Sarath [former House Supervisor], I chose to come live with Global Children Cambodia. I decided to go with this organization because I trusted Hun Sarath’s advice. He had also been in Pursat Orphanage and was able to attend university in Phnom Penh through a scholarship from Global Children. I decided to major in electrical engineering and I am currently a first year student. I chose to study electrical engineering by studying the job market, and by consulting my family. My goal is to work hard and to ensure that my family will have the best life possible and that we will be happy.
I study tourism because I love traveling. I hope to travel around the world in the future. My future goal is I want to be a manager in a luxury hotel. I want to continue my master degree abroad. I keep dreaming about it every night. In the next 10 years, I want to live and work in the United States. I also want to give back to the organization that I’ve lived in, and to help people get out of the poverty. One day, I want to open an organization for elderly and homeless people across Cambodia. I like work that involves helping society.
