Scholarships

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

Our scholarship program changes lives. We watch students from poor, rural families overcome great odds as they go off to college and return to their village confident, empowered and greatly respected by their peers and elders. We celebrate as they graduate from college with jobs in finance, accounting, education, human resources, nursing, engineering, hospitality and banking. The scholarship students are now embracing a world their parents never dreamed possible.

Their hard work pays off and changes their lives as well as the lives of their families and loved ones. As one of our college graduates put it, “If I didn’t go to college, I would be married, have kids and be a poor farmer.” Instead, in just one generation, they are breaking the cycle of poverty for their families and themselves.

Selecting the Students

We choose students who have graduated from high school and have a strong desire to continue their education through college. In addition, the students must come from poor families that don't have the resources to pay for their studies and are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to keep their child in school.

A village screening committee -- consisting of our English teachers, school officials, and our operations manager, Venerable Sovechea (a prominent local, Buddhist leader) -- identifies candidates. Candidates and their parents then submit an application to the Cambodian Village Fund Board, which makes the final selection.

What the Program Costs

Our scholarships pay for tuition, room and board, school uniforms, books, school supplies and English classes. The Fund pays for groceries for students to cook their own meals. New students receive a laptop computer. We also provide eye, dental and hospital care. In the U.S., a comparable scholarship would easily cost as much as $30,000 - $50,000, but our average cost is only $1,600 per year. $1,600 gives a deserving kid a chance to break out of poverty and change the trajectory of their life. Now that’s a bargain!

To help pay the cost for 24 scholarship students (total budget about $40,000 per year), we need sponsors who will pay all or part of the costs. Sponsoring a student starts at $25 per month ($300 per year). Some sponsors provide complete support for one student--$1,600 per year.

If you’d like to meet the scholarship students, click here to visit the Scholarship Students page.

Won’t You Join Us in this Effort?

If you think that one person can’t make a difference, sign up to sponsor a scholarship student and you'll be amazed at the results.

You can make your donation with your credit card or PayPal account.  Simply click the "Donate" button below.  Even better, after you click the button, check the box "Make this a monthly donation" and your support will continue every month.





Or you can donate by check payable to Cambodian Village Fund. Send your check to:

Cambodian Village Fund
c/o Bill and Nancy Bamberger
4376 Argos Dr.
San Diego, CA 92116

(Please note on your check that your donation is for the Scholarship Program.)

Scholarship students are showing us that anything is possible.  On behalf of a very grateful future graduate and the Cambodian Village Fund, we thank you in advance for your generosity!

Thank You Soroptimist International of La Jolla

The Cambodian Village Fund Scholarship Program started in 2010 because of the generosity of the Soroptimist International of La Jolla.
They continue to support the program by sponsoring a university student.

 

Investment in girls' education may well be the highest-return investment available in the developing world.

Lawrence H. Summers, Former Chief Economist of the World Bank