Ratana has sadly had to deal with lots of hardships during her childhood. After being briefly raised by her grandmother, she was fortunately soon taken into the care of a children’s village, where she was able to grow up in a safe and secure environment and attend school, which would change the trajectory of her life forever.
It became clear very early on that Ratana was determined to work towards a better future than what would have been in store for her, given the dire circumstances for orphans like her in the poverty-stricken rural Cambodian village where she grew up. Even as a young girl, she excelled as a student and consistently achieved top grades in her class. Since she was a teenager, she dreamed of one day working as a doctor, but at the same time, she was aware that this would require a great deal of discipline and commitment. She eventually passed her high school final exams with ease in 2021, but then a crucial obstacle stood between Ratana and her dream: the medical entrance exam.
In Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, around 4,500 students take a national entrance exam each year, and only a few hundred pass the difficult exam.
After Ratana’s time in the children’s village came to an end, we helped the then 19-year-old with her next steps: moving to Phnom Penh, buying a moto to navigate the big city, enrolling in an English language course at the Australian Center for Education, and registering for preparatory courses for the medical entrance exam.
The anxiety and nervousness were at an all-time high before the entrance exam results were announced in February 2024, but we were relieved to celebrate the good news that Ratana was one of 200 students to pass the entrance exam to the International University of Phnom Penh.
Read her story in her own words below:
Hello everybody! My name is Ratana, and I would like to tell you a little bit about myself.
I am a third-year medical student, and I also study English at the Australian Center for Education. I first dreamed of becoming a doctor when I was young. I have always wanted to help people and take care of those who are sick.
Now, I study full day at the university, and my subjects this year include Pathological Anatomy, Surgical Semiology, Parasitology, Operative Surgery, and Pathophysiology. It is a busy schedule from the early morning until the evening, but I enjoy learning new things every day.
My goal is to become a kind and caring doctor who can bring hope to others. Learning English helps me improve my communication and makes it easier to understand medical lessons in English.
I am very thankful to this NGO for supporting my education and my life. Without your support, I would not be able to study at university or live in Phnom Penh. Your help inspires me to keep working hard toward my goals.
Thank you for everything!
All the best,
Ratana
Thomlang – Cambodian Youth Support has been supporting Ratana with everything she needs in her daily life ever since. We cover her tuition and English language course fees, as well as her entire living expenses: this includes her monthly rent, medical bills, and everyday expenses for food, hygiene products, and gasoline. We also provided her with school supplies, a moped, and a tablet so she can actively participate in classes and work through all lectures and presentations directly on her screen.
We are truly incredibly proud to support motivated and ambitious students like Ratana on her journey and thereby make long-term, positive changes in her life. Now 22, she is thriving in her studies and is undeterred even by difficult subjects like anatomy, biochemistry, and pathophysiology. She is already in her third year of medical school and excels at quickly absorbing the overwhelming amount of new knowledge.
Ratana also uses her free time to pursue further medical education and prepare for her future career as a doctor. Through her university, she has often had the opportunity to participate in medical conferences in Phnom Penh, most recently in August at a lecture given by the Cardiology Association, and last year at the International Medical Symposium on neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
She also takes every opportunity to volunteer for various aid projects in Cambodia. Last semester, she traveled to Siem Reap with her fellow students to participate in a medical mission at the Angkor Children’s Hospital, and at the beginning of October of this year, she accompanied a Khmer-French doctor on a trip to the Thai border to provide medical care to displaced people affected by the border conflict who had to seek refuge in makeshift camps.
Thomlang – CYS will support Ratana in this way at least until the end of her studies, and thanks to your generous donations, we are able to have a fundamental and lasting positive impact on the young student’s life.
Support underprivileged students like Ratana through education by donating to CYS today!
