Support 2000 Students in Cambodia

May–August 2026 Project Update

Thank you for continuing to stand with students in Cambodia. From May to August 2026, your support helped children and young people stay connected to education by addressing practical barriers such as lack of study materials, transport difficulties, family vulnerability, and limited community support.This period, your generosity helped This Life combine direct education support with wider school, family, community, and partner engagement. Together, these efforts helped students continue learning while strengthening the networks around them.Your support helped make the following possible:

• 32 students received direct education support through study materials or bicycles. This included 29 students who received study materials, including 6 girls, and 3 students who received bicycles, including 1 girl and 1 student with a disability.
• 1,323 students, including 386 girls, joined school-based training activities that strengthened knowledge, confidence, protection awareness, and continued engagement with education.
• 653 community members, including 559 females, were reached through learning-promotion campaigns that encouraged families and communities to support children’s continued education.
• 1,278 participants joined coordination meetings, including 675 female participants and 1 participant with a disability. These meetings helped schools, local authorities, government departments, programme teams, and partner organisations share information and coordinate support for vulnerable children and young people.

In total, the project recorded 1,355 student-focused support and participation records, including 393 female records and 1 record involving a student with a disability. These are activity records and may include the same student receiving more than one form of support.

One young woman’s journey shows why sustained education support matters.

Risa (a pseudonym), a 20-year-old young woman from Kampong Chhnang Province, lost both parents to HIV-related illness when she was very young. Because of poverty and limited family resources, she was placed in residential care in Takeo Province. When the residential care facility prepared to close, This Life worked with social welfare authorities, local authorities, and family members to identify a safe family-based care arrangement. In November 2024, Risa was reintegrated into the care of her uncle and his family.

Support continued after reintegration through case management, counselling, school materials, a bicycle, financial assistance for additional tutoring, and support for food and hygiene needs. With this encouragement, Risa completed secondary school, passed the Grade 12 national examination with a B grade, and received a scholarship to study Public Administration in Phnom Penh for the 2026–2027 academic year.

Expressing her gratitude, Risa shared: “I would like to thank This Life Cambodia for providing study materials, financial support for my additional classes, and assistance with some of my daily expenses. I will continue working hard in my studies so that I can achieve my dream of becoming a skilled professional in public administration in the future.” 

Risa’s story reminds us that education support is not only about giving materials. It is about helping young people stay safe, stay connected to family, continue learning, and move toward independence.

Challenges remain. Many students still face financial pressure, transport barriers, and family difficulties that can interrupt their education. In response, This Life will continue prioritising students who need practical support, while also strengthening school-based learning, community engagement, and coordination with government and partner organisations.

Thank you for helping students stay connected to education and build stronger futures. Your support continues to make a difference, one student and one pathway at a time.

Links:

• Find out more about This Life
• Learn more about This Life In School Programme
• Follow This Life on Social Media