HAUM SOPHANNY

I come from the province of Banteay Meanchey.I have four siblings: 2 girls and 2 boys. Both of my parents are alive, but my family’s life has always been difficult. My parents barely make anything as farmers. For some time, my father’s eye was acting up and he was really sick. We had to borrow money and sell belongings that my grandparents had given us in order to pay for my dad’s treatment. My mother had to shoulder all the weight of raising us and of providing for our family, while my dad was sick. Now, my dad’s eye is doing much better, but it will never be the way it once was. To help my mother out, my dad decided to do some work in construction, despite his poor health. Before entering Global Children, life for me was hard. As the oldest in the family, seeing my parents struggle to provide for us was so difficult. My parents decided to pull me out of school so that I could help earn money for the family. They wanted to send me to work doing manual labor in Thailand, but I begged them to at least let me finish Grade 12. That was probably the hardest decision I have had to make thus far. I knew that if I became a worker in Thailand, my life would be over, because I did not have sufficient education for to better my future.

I really wanted a college education. So, I wrote a letter asking for a scholarship from Global Children Cambodia. I learned of Global Children through Sovann, the organization’s house supervisor, who saw my family’s situation of dire need. He knew that I really wanted to enter university, but my family just didn’t have the money to send me. I love the major that I’ve chosen, and it was approved by my family.