Worldvision Singapore

“Had it not been for the advice and encouragement from my mother, the World Vision staff and my sponsor to persevere and continue in my studies, I would have been a farmer now. When I was in school I never imagined that I would one day be studying in a university,” the 20-year-old Sim SamOeurn related candidly.

SamOeurn is a third-year undergraduate, doing an Information Technology degree in Phnom Penh City, and a rarity among his peers in university, because most children from farming families never make it to the tertiary level. Even amongst his own closest friends and peers in the village, SamOeurn is the only one to have made it to university.

Having always been a mature and thoughtful child, SamOeurn’s parents are very confident and proud of him, and believe that he will succeed in his education.

"I am very pleased that SamOeurn can get higher education. Even though I have to work hard to support my family, I want him to continue studying," said SamOeurn’s mother, El Phou, who was beaming with pride.

To supplement income, El Phou, 50, sells porridge every morning. Her husband Sim SamArth, 57, nods in agreement as his wife speaks of their son’s success in education although he has not been able to see his grown-up son due to his eye problems ever since 2005.

In order to send her son to a private university, SamOeurn's mother has sold some of her farming land, rice, and a cow. The family’s hardship to see him through his studies pushes him to work harder in university. To gain experience while studying, SamOeurn worked as a volunteer for a private university. Recently, they’ve contracted him as a staff, and he is able to earn some money as a result.

“Before I was given a job as a receptionist, I volunteered for the university as a teacher assistant giving computer lessons, without any pay for about one year. Now I can earn US$40 per month. Though it is not too much, it can help my parents because it will be a lessened burden for them, supporting me through school,” expressed SamOeurn.

Growing up in Bati District, Takeo Province, SamOeurn is the third of four siblings. His older sister Ath SokLay and older brother Ath SamArng are both married now, and have their own families. When SamOeurn is in Phnom Penh City during the semester, his parents and his youngest sister, Ath Sopanna, 15, and also a sponsored child live together in the old house that SamOeurn has grown up in throughout his life. During the holidays, he would sometimes return home to visit and help his parents farm.

Seeing students walking across his house after leaving school reminded SamOeurn of his secondary school days. At the end of the seventh grade, SamOeurn wanted to quit school when a few of his closest friends stopped studying, and had convinced him to do the same. However, his mother strongly disallowed that decision and insisted that he finished his twelfth grade, at least.

“I did not want to study. I went to school because my mother forced me to,” recounted SamOeurn. At that time, it seemed cumbersome to study, because it took him at hour to travel to school, on a rusty bicycle, and he had to spend money attending extra classes in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry to understand the syllabus in school better.

Generally, many students living in both the countryside and city need to take the extra classes of the few essential subjects if they want to learn more and have a better understanding of the subjects, and particularly, to help them pass their examinations in school. The tuition cost of each subject is between 300 riel (US$0.10) and 500 riel (US$0.12). This is also how teachers can make extra income to support their families.

While SamOeurn was an outstanding student in primary school, his lack of interest in school during his secondary school days, saw a dip in his grades.

“When I was in primary school, I was always ranked among the top five students out of more than 50 students, but I was ranked 20 to 25 when I was in the seventh and eighth grades,” said SamOeurn.

At the time when SamOeurn’s grades plunged, he became part of the World Vision Child Sponsorship Programme as a sponsored child. “Like my mother, the World Vision staff advised me to study hard because it would be worth the effort. Since then, I have received school materials such as bags, books, pens, and pencils, which I never got before. I was so pleased to be a sponsored child in the programme under World Vision,” recalled SamOeurn.

Three years after being a sponsored child, while he was in the tenth grade, SamOeurn became a children group leader of the local Children Club, which was set up by World vision Cambodia (WVC). At first, SamOerun did not have much self-confidence.

“During the election process, I stayed in the last row to hide my face because I wasn’t confident and felt shy. Surprisingly I was selected as a children group leader out of five candidates. I did not expect to be chosen,” remarked SamOeurn. “It might have been because I was in a higher grade compared to the other candidates,” explained SamOeurn.

After being a children’s group leader, SamOeurn was invited to take part in a workshop on Child Rights at WVC's National Office based in Phnom Penh City. Since then, he has grown to be more responsive and responsible.

"Being a children group leader helped me to be more courageous and creative. It also helped me to be more focused in the things I did," shared SamOeurn.

"Nothing can be compared to the top-of-the-world feeling I had of SamOeurn, watching him mature. I was so proud that he was able to lead other young people and was paying attention to his studies again," SamOeurn's mother El Phou revealed.

"SamOeurn is a polite and docile child. He has helped his old parents do chores and work on the paddy fields. He was a positive influence as well, encouraging others to study hard. Many villagers take to his attitude and personality," said 56 year-old woman Sann Khorn, SamOeurn's neighbour.

Two years before he left for Phmon Penh for his degree SamOeurn was promoted to become an adult leader. He will graduate next year.

"Working for WV as a coordinator to develop the community would be my primary goal, and I will continue to help them as a leader wherever possible, while teaching English and computer skills," said SamOeurn.