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People of Siem Reap


In 2017, I embarked on my volunteering experiences in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.  

Along my journey, I have encountered many beautiful people and learned about their stories.
 

People of Siem Reap is my debut project of PeopleStories.

Taking Steps for My Dreams!

24/10/2020

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In 2017, PeopleStories organised “What’s Your Dream?” Drawing competition the very first time and it was all about encouraging children to imagine and dream about their future .    

Sopheak, 11 years old then, was one of the 10 winners.  She was studying at Grade 6 and had a dream of becoming a chef! 

We often wonder how a young child could dream of something that distance and big… Let’s hear how her dreams came about. 
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Sopheak developed a love for cooking from observing her mother, who is a great cook.  She shared, “I really like cooking.  I cannot cook well but I really like it.” 

In fact, she started her cooking adventure when she was only in Grade 3 where she was still very young.   She recalled, “When I was 9, I cooked rice.  First, I used the firewood to start the fire. Then, I boiled the water.  I washed the rice and put it into the water. I waited till the rice split and drained it.”  

It was a wonderful and empowering experience for her to be able to cook the rice by herself.   Perhaps the sense of achievement is something that really empowers her love for cooking. ​
What has she been doing after the competition to realise her dream?  She revealed, “Instead of just learning from my mum and dad, I have started learning from friends, Victoria and even sometimes from watching cooking videos!”  Besides, she also put in the efforts to practise.  She said, “I practise until I get it right.  It was hard but I think it is a good thing that I need to do.”   

In 2019, PeopleStories held a Khmer writing competition in which she was also a winner!  This time, she wrote about her dreams of becoming a police officer and a chef at the same time!  This pushes our curiosity further as we want to hear more about her police office dream. 
A little proud news that Sopheak shared, “Since the beginning of this school year, I have been appointed as one of the three class leaders in my class of 51 students.  As a class leader, I am responsible for the class work assigned by the teachers, manage my classmates and help with school and class work.”   

She further explained, “I have the dream of becoming a police officer because I always become a leader in the class and I also like the leadership role.” 


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From a dream to become a chef to a police officer, Sopheak has shown us the importance of taking steps to pursue something that is so close to her heart.   She told us a little secret of her success at closing of our conversation, “Focus on studying, study hard and don’t play a lot.  Have confidence in yourself and be brave.” 

​Sopheak has been taking steps to realise her dreams and has thought of new dreams along her learning journey.   We wish her all the best and look forward to see her dreams come true, one by one. 
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How COVID-19 has changed my life...

29/5/2020

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"I am 17 years old and studying in Grade 10 this year.  I am one of the mature students at my school and most of my classmates are a couple years younger than me. My parents took me to school late because we are poor and could not afford many of us going to school.   We  live in a rural village and my big family has 9 of us.  Fortunately I have been on a scholarship since 4 years ago, otherwise I would have to stop going to school already.  I really love school and I would like to become an engineer one day!

When I first heard about COVID-19, I didn't understand about it nor knew how dangerous it is. Thanks to my teachers who gave us good information and knowledge about the things I need to do and not to do.  COVID-19 has given us many challenges and my life is very different now.  

My school has closed since mid-March and I find it very challenging to continue with my learning.  For the first time ever, we are introduced to online learning which I was excited initially.  However, I discovered all sorts of issues as I don't even have a smart device or computer.  Not to mention that there is no internet access from home as our village is remote and basic.  Some of my friends get hold of smart devices, however, they could not afford to top-up their SIM card all the time.  Having said that, some teachers are kind and offer us some paper-based exercises, but it is difficult to arrange a time to obtain them as teachers are not free all the time.  To be honest, I can't complete all the exercises as there are so many things that I don't understand and there is no teacher there to explain.  

COVID-19 has also affected my family significantly.  Some of my elder brothers and sisters used to have full time employment and were able to help support our family.  Many of them are now unemployed and we are all relying on my father to feed the 9 of us!  My family doesn't have any farmland hence there is no reserve of rice to feed all of us.  To make the matter worse, our family has bank loans which we can't even repay now!  My father sells fish at the market and can only bring home around $3 a day.  PeopleStories has delivered relief packages to us, which are helpful.  However, there is just so much more we need and we are really struggling.

A few months ago, one of my sisters who lives far away from us had a new born baby and we were all so happy for her.  Unfortunately, her husband ran away due to the pressure from COVID-19 and she is now left behind to raise the baby.  Luckily, my mother is willing to look after the baby for her, so that she can continue to work at a factory.  She is so far apart from her baby which makes her and our family very sad.  On the other hand, one of my brother has become alcoholic since unemployed and we are all scared and worried about his situation.  

As for me, I started working as a painter at construction sites.  When it is internal painting, the work is kind of ok but it is very difficult to paint the external walls as the weather is very hot and I have to climb up high without much safety measures.  It is not an easy job but I am glad to bring home around $6 a day!  In my spare time, I like reading books and try my best to keep up with the exercises that my teachers give me.

I wish COVID-19 will be gone very soon and I am determined to return to school in the near future.  My dream to become an engineer hasn't changed and I will work very hard to achieve that!"
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Say Good-bye to the Buffaloes!

7/7/2019

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"I believe education will help me for a better future!  I am 20 years old now and just returned to school to study at Grade 7 again this year.

You see, I quit school when I was 16 whilst studying in Grade 7 because my family is poor.  There are 8 brothers and sisters in my family and I am the 6th.  My family used to have a few buffaloes and I was the one looking after them.  One day, my father asked me to stop going to school and to look after the buffaloes. I wanted to take care of my family so I followed his advice.

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School Is My Oasis!

27/6/2018

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"I am 5 years old and I love coming to school.  I can write and sing, which makes me very happy!  At school, I get to see my friends and we play games.  I love eating sweets and my mother helps me brush my teeth.  My dream is to eat lots of rice!"
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Teachers dedicate their heart and soul to advance education!

22/6/2018

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"I am 44 years old and have been the school director of a small primary school in the rural area of Siem Reap for more than 10 years. Before that, I was a teacher here for another 10 years...

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Broaden My Horizon

12/6/2018

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"Last year, I started my first year in secondary school but I quit in the same year.  My parents passed away when I was only 10 and things haven been tough.  In fact, I didn't enjoy school and found it really difficult to learn.  Now I am 15, I help others looking after their cows.  Everyday, I walk 5 cows and 2 buffalo to the field and return them home.  I like sports and love playing football.  However, I don't know what kind of dream job I would like to have one day."
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Juicy Future

13/5/2018

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"I grew up in a large family with 9 siblings. Being the 3rd eldest one, I had to quit school at grade 4 and start working. I was only 13 then! I still remember crying all night when that happened!

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Shall We Dance?

11/5/2018

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"I am 70 years old now and I still ride my bike every day. I like going to see what’s happening in the community and I love festivals a lot. I think I can dance very well!

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Snails and Ducks

10/5/2018

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"Every day, I come here to look for snails. On a good day, I can get a bucket full of snails so that I can sell them in the market for a few dollars.

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Labouring with Love

9/5/2018

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"When my father died, I had to stop school at grade 5 and started working in the farm. 

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    Dedication


    "People of Siem Reap, you have an incredible ability to bounce back.  I am forever grateful for your love, kindness and openness to share."

    ​Victoria Keeys

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  • PeopleStories
  • Stories of People
    • People of Siem Reap
    • Vic's Stories
    • Our Change Maker
  • Our Chapters
    • Smart School Anywhere
    • School for Life
    • Response to COVID-19
    • Bike for Life
    • Sports for Good
  • Ambassador
  • Donation
  • Support Us
    • Gifts for Good Singapore (Dec 22)
    • Meet Our Team
    • Get In Touch
    • Join Us Now