Help Give Cambodian Young Adults Independence

This latest update coincides with the very first International Day of the Girl Child (11^th October), to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 66/170. 

And so in this report we will update you on a number of the young girls in our Young Adult Programmes,but first some astonishing facts based on the theme of this year’s Day “Child marriage”, which is a fundamental human rights violation and impacts all aspects of a girl’s life.

Globally, around one in three young women aged 20-24 years were first married before they reached age 18. One third of them entered into marriage before they turned 15. Child marriage results in early and unwanted pregnancies, posing life-threatening risks for girls. In developing countries, 90 per cent of births to adolescents aged 15-19 are to married girls, and pregnancy-related complications are the leading cause of death for girls in this age group.

Girls with low levels of schooling are more likely to be married early, and child marriage has been shown to virtually end a girl’s education. Conversely, girls with secondary schooling are up to six times less likely to marry as children, making education one of the best strategies for protecting girls and combating child marriage.

The 3 oldest girls in our programme live together in a shared house, since leavng the Sangkheum Centre some 2 years ago.  The programme has enabled them to make great progress towards independent living, with a major step being to complete their high school eduaction.   Perhaps not surprisingly they are all hoping to pursue careers helping others.  

Mol (19) is still in high school, but in her final year studying for grade 12.  She is interested in working for an NGO in the future.  While in the programme she has undertaken a work placement at a local hotel, Soria Moria, which helps her with her English and to build her confidence.  Mol has 2 younger sisters who still live at the Sangkheum Centre.  They are very proud of how well she is progressing and look up to her achievements.

Socheata  (19) has graduated from high school and is now applying to study in the teacher's training college in the Cambodia’s second largest city, Battambang.  This is very difficult to get into, so she is also considering a one or two year accountant training program in Siem Reap.  Her first choice for future career is to be a teacher but second choice is to work as an accountant at an NGO.

Pok (20) is now fulfilling her long held dream of becoming a nurse, completing her nursing training at the Military Training Centre in Siem Reap, and we are confident she will be employed in one of the many private clinics in Siem Reap in the new year.

There are many other young girls still living at Sangkheum Centre and they participated in the first annual Siem Reap event for International Day of the Girl Child at a local high school.  They performed two traditional dances and two girls spoke about why they think education is important.  It was an event organized by other local NGOs; This Life Cambodia and Women's Resource Center. 

Your support of H.O.P.E enables us to support girls like Mol, Socheata and Pok to fulfil their potential and grow into great role models for many other young Cambodian women.   

THANK YOU