For more than 5 years, our organization has been empowering young, dedicated young Cambodians through access to education. Cambodia has been underdoing rapid development in the past decade, attracting numerous international businesses and companies with promising career opportunities that follow international standards like competitive salaries, professional working environments, and at times even employee benefits like health insurance coverage.
However, throughout our work with young people from impoverished rural communities, we have witnessed the many barriers that prevent talented students from accessing these opportunities. Many children grow up in extreme poverty, having lost one or both parents or being separated from their families. Faced with the daily struggle to survive, countless students are forced to leave school at an early age to earn an income. Many do so before they have even completed basic literacy, closing the door to future educational and career opportunities.
Or goal is to help break this cycle of poverty. In order to do that, we support them with everything they need throughout their journey – from ensuring food security and access to primary and secondary education to providing opportunities for trade school or university. Every students’ path is different and unique, which is why we taylor our support to their specific interests, taltents, and aspirations. This also includes supporting additional avenues like language school and computer courses and help finding internships and workshops that will equip them with the skills and experience needed to build succesful careers.
For some students, this journey continues beyond a bachelor’s degree. As Cambodia’s economy grows, a master’s degree has become an increasingly valuable qualification for many professional and leadership positions. Unfortunately, the cost of postgraduate education remains far beyond the reach of most students from low-income families.
One of these students is Samrong. Samrong has been working hard for his education his whole life. He grew up in a small rural community in Kampot. Throughout his childhood, his family struggled to provide even the most basic school necessities, like school supplies or a bike to ride to school. Thanks to a supportive community, including his parents who instilled the importance of education in him at a young age, neighbors who offered helping hands when possible, and teachers who went out of their way to keep him in school despite tuition costs that he was unable to cover, Samrong was able to graduate from high school. Determined to realize his dream of working as a businessman in the future, he took up several jobs in order to not only support his parents, but also finance his Bachelor’s Degree completely by himself.
Today, he is the holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Management. Samrong has big dreams, though, and was motivated to continue his education by pursuing a Master’s degree. It was at this point that we learned about his inspiring journey and decided to step in to support the aspiring businessman with a Master’s Degree and the coverage of his rent in Phnom Penh.
Read more about his story in his own words below:
Dear supporters of Cambodian Youth Support,
I would like to introduce myself to all of you! My name is Samrong and I am the middle child in my family. I was born in 2001 in my hometown, Kampot Province. I finished Primary, Secondary, and high school in Kampot, and already graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from a university in Sihanoukville.
My family’s financial situation has always been very difficult. My parents used to struggle a lot. My father worked hard as a construction worker to support the whole family, while my mother stayed at home because she only finished the third grade and doesn’t have any education. However, my parents always supported and motivated my siblings and I to study hard.
From primary to high school, I did not have money for my daily expenses or part-time classes, which cost 1,000 Riels per hour, which is around 25 cents. I tried my best to get the highest scores so my teachers would reward me and let me study for free. After high school, I worked at a coffee shop for three years to support my family and pay my tuition fees for university to get a Bachelor’s degree. I knew that only education could help me escape our difficult situation.
After graduating with my Bachelor’s degree, I wanted to study Business Management for my Master’s degree. I hoped to get more knowledge and experience to work in a big international company. I consider myself really lucky, that you made this possible for me and helped me enroll in a Master’s program at the National University of Management last year. Studying here has already given me so many great experiences. I have met classmates who work as teachers or in international companies, and they have shared so much valuable knowledge with me. This has made me love studying even more. After my Master’s degree, I want to learn more languages like English, Korean, or German. I want to keep improving myself to have a chance at a good future.
I would like to express my deepest thanks to my NGO sponsors. Because of you, my dream of studying for a Master’s degree has come true. I don’t know how to express all of my gratitude. From the bottom of my heart, I love and thank you all so much. Thank you for helping a kid from a poor family become a Master’s student.
I wish you all the best!
Best regards,
Samrong
Your donations allows Samrong to continue building the future he has worked so hard to achieve.
Support underprivileged students like Samrong through higher education by donating to CYS today!
