Education for 300 Urban Poor Children

Impact Story

“… I am so proud that I graduated from my secondary school with grade A”

A quote from a fourteen-year-old girl from Krosang Char village, Preah Sdach district.

Nary was born on June 25th, 2010 in Krosang Char village, Sena Reach Otdam commune, Preah Sdach district. Now she is 14 years old and studying in the 9th grade at Krosang Char Secondary School. She lives with her parents. She has two sisters, Sreyroth and Serymuny. Nary is the second child in the family. Her family lives in a small house with five members. Her father moved to work as a construction worker in Phnom Penh and her mother is a food cook for students in a private school in Phnom Penh.

Before Nary had many difficulties related to study and her family’s livelihood, her family could not get enough study supplies and food to eat every day because the family also had bank debt. Her father worked alone as a construction worker in Phnom Penh to earn income to support the whole family’s living and children’s education as well. At that time, Nary did not have enough study materials like other children, and she also had to walk far to primary school every day as she did not have a bicycle. So she had a lot of concern and worried about her next grade in secondary school because it was also far away from her house and her family’s living situation was very hard at that time. Thus, Nary planned to drop out of school many times, although her parents encouraged her to continue secondary and her mother also moved to work in Phnom Penh to earn extra income to support the family and children’s studies.

Greatly, in July 2021, Nary was selected for the school development program of the Sunshine Cambodia organization. This program provided her with study supplies such as books, pens, pencils, bags, and rulers every academic year. The program also supported her family food packages such as rice, noodles, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and milk, especially at that time. The program distributed her a bicycle when she graduated from primary school. These supports really encouraged and made her so happy, and it was a good assistance to help and improve her studies and living conditions too. The program team not only provided these materials for her and her family, but the program staff also talked and encouraged Nary to study hard both at school and home, and we shared with her and her parents about the importance of education for future life. Now Nary has been riding her bicycle to secondary school every day for 3 years, and she attends school regularly. She paid attention to teachers’ explanations in the class, and she always spent her spare time reading books and doing exercises both at home and at school. At home, she set up a clear learning schedule every day with different subjects before the national exam and her parents also always supported and encouraged her to study hard all the time, and they worked hard to support children’s education.

Nary’s mother shared with a smile, that “… I am very proud of my daughter Nary, because she did a good job for her national exam in September 2024. She graduated from her secondary school with grade A. I would like to say thanks to the Sunshine Cambodia Organization and all the staff, especially the donors who have been supporting my family and my children.” Nary added with a smile that “… I am very happy that I passed my national exam with a good result and this result made my parents so proud of me. I also prepare myself to continue my high school class in the new academic year as well."