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Newsletter | Fall 2016 | ||||||
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New Scholarship Girls—Sreynoch, Sopheap and Mey Mey
We accepted three new college students in our Reach for the Sky scholarship program. All three are recent graduates of Sangker High School. They are excellent students who overcame adversity to graduate from high school. None of them was able to continue to college without financial aid. We were able to offer scholarships to these girls because of a generous donation from the Gendercide Awareness Project. |
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Mey Mey
19-year old Mey Mey is the 3rd daughter in a family of 4 children. Her parents are farmers. They are older and in poor health and earn very little money. They live 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the high school. Everyday Mey Mey got up early for the long bike ride over very difficult roads to get to school. In spite of the adversity, Mey Mey ranked 6th out of 48 students in her 12th grade class, passed the high school exit exam and graduated. She received a scholarship to study banking and finance at the University of Battambang, but did not have money for room, board, books, uniforms or food. With some financial help Mey Mey is now enrolled in college.
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Mey Mey at University of Battambang
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![]() Sreinoch at University of Battambang |
Sreinoch
Sreinoch comes from a very poor family. When she was 3, her father was injured, when a tree fell on him. He is bedridden and can’t work or even feed himself. Sreinoch’s mother and sisters take care of him. Sreinoch’s mother, who also has health problems, is the sole breadwinner for the family, earning money farming a small rice field and selling food along the road. Sreinoch ranked 4th out of 48 students in her 12th grade class. She wants to go to university so she can get a good job and support her family. but she doesn’t have the money. With financial support Sreinoch is now a freshman studying accounting at the University of Battambang. |
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Sopheap
In July Sopheap graduated from Sanker High School. She ranked 3rd overall in her 12th grade class (out of 48 students) and 1st in philosophy, physics and math. Her family situation is very difficult. Her father lost a leg in the war and can’t find a good job. Her mother works in the rice fields and on a chicken farm. Sopheap’s 4 older sisters dropped out of school in the 3rd or 4th grade. Her parents are starting a business repairing bikes and motorbikes, but often bring home as little as $1.25 per day. Sopheap is motivated to get a college education so she can help her family, but also “help poor children and improve my country.” She was offered a partial scholarship from the University of Management and Economics in Battambang, but did not have money for room, board, books and uniforms until she received some financial aid.
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Sopheap
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![]() Sothea, our first scholarship boy ![]() Sothea, with his parents |
Our First Scholarship Boy
Until a few months ago our scholarship program was just for girls. Why girls? Partly because girls in Cambodia, like many other parts of the world, get the short end of the stick. When a family has to choose between sending a son or a daughter to school, they often choose the son. Also, studies show that investing in girls’ education has a very high return. Economist Lawrence Summers said, "Investment in girls' education may well be the highest-return investment available in the developing world." Not only does the educated girl benefit, but her family, her children and her community also benefit. So why did we add a boy?
We know that there are many boys in Cambodia who have amazing potential, but lack resources to continue their education. We thought we’d experiment to see if boys can fit into our scholarship program. Our first boy is Sothea, a 12th grader who comes from a poor farming family. We met Sothea earlier this year, first on Facebook and then in person when we were in Cambodia in January. We visited his house and met his parents. Sothea is an excellent student, ranking 4th in his 11th grade class. He wants to go to college and become a doctor.
Adding a boy to our scholarship program involved a few challenges. Most difficult was finding a place for him to live in Battambang. He couldn’t live in the house with the girls so he had to find an apartment and a roommate. Also, he couldn’t eat with our scholarship girls, who prepare communal meals. So Sothea and his roommate have to cook their own meals. Fortunately, Sothea’s mother had taught him how to cook, and as far as we know he hasn’t lost any weight since moving away from home. He is a really nice, hardworking boy and we know he will do well.
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How You Can Become a Sponsor.
Most of the money to pay for the Reach for the Sky program comes from sponsors. For girls still living with their parents, the money from sponsors pays for a new bicycle, school uniforms, books, school supplies and a monthly allowance. We rent a house in Battambang for the older girls (11th grade and above). We pay rent, electricity, water, WIFI, computer, printer, paper and ink, groceries, school uniforms, books, school supplies, tuition for college girls, extra classes for high school students, monthly allowance and English classes. We also provide dental and eye care for all the students. Our total cost for the Reach for the Sky program this year is about $36,000 or about $1,200 per student. Quite a bargain when you think about it--$1,200 per year to not only change the life of the student, but also their families, their village and their country.
We need more sponsors. A base level of support is $300 per year, or $25 per month. Some sponsors pay the entire cost of “their” student.
What are the benefits to the sponsors? The primary benefit is knowing that you are changing a life by helping a child stay in school and get an education. Sponsors also get updates about their students, including progress reports in school and photos. Sponsors can also become Facebook friends or exchange emails with their student. Many of our sponsors have traveled with us to Cambodia to meet their student. All of the scholarship students speak English.
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![]() Cameron and friends Signing up to become a sponsor is easy. Go to the Scholarship page on the Cambodian Village Fund website. Click “Donate” to make a one-time donation, or “Recurring Donation” to make a monthly, quarterly, or yearly donation. Your tax-deductible donation will be charged to your credit card or, if you prefer, your PayPal account. |
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![]() Jennifer and Souerth |
![]() Mimi and Rany |
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