A warm welcome to our 2018 scholars!
Welcome to Cheang and Virort!
Our scholars, Cheang and Virort, have arrived in London! They were selected among several outstanding students for our flagship scholarship programme in London.
This is their first international experience. The focus of the scholarship is to improve their English language skills and get exposure to international commerce through job shadowing opportunities with our corporate partners.
We wholeheartedly thank the 5 companies which are welcoming Virort and Cheang for this experience, and we especially thank CA-CIB for sponsoring the programme.
The benefits of a scholarship for students from southeast Asia
In Southeast Asia, having access to education is a luxury and the number of people who can afford it is limited. For this reason, many young people feel helpless in their schooling, the price to pay to carry on with their studies is a huge sacrifice.
The majority of young adults, despite their potential and motivations, are therefore forced to stop their pathways, as they have no other choice but to find work to feed themselves and help their families to get out of poverty. This is why we have created a scholarship, thanks to our partner CA-CIB, to help these students full of ambition, to achieve their dreams and break the cycle of poverty.
Our scholarship offers a fantastic opportunity for these young adults. They have the chance to come and explore London for 3 months, intending to improve their English and also their skills through work placements. This programme was set up in 2017, and it offers an enriching experience in London.
The beneficiaries of the programme go back to their countries successfully, as they become much more confident and determined to make their dreams come true. Our students of 2017, who were the first to be granted this scholarship, have proven how much this experience has provided them, they won more inspiration and confidence for their careers.
A few words about our scholars sponsored in 2017 : Kosal and Chhengtay
Kosal Soeum
Kosal was a beneficiary of our scholarship in 2017, and in his interview for Children of the Mekong, during his time in London, he shares with us his dream of becoming a project manager in the construction field. He grew up in a village without water or electricity, but this is usually the case in Cambodia villages. Afterwards, he had the chance to study at the famous Phnom Penh university, where he studied rural engineering.
We are proud to share with you our last news about Kosal, who is now involved in the development of Cambodia, by working on a beautiful highway project for a Japanese company, which aims to link Thailand to Phnom Penh. He also helps his little brother with his university studies and his parents in the reconstruction of their house. With these friends, he also started to contribute to the success of the disadvantaged children of his neighbourhood, by providing school equipment.
Chhengtay Toeur
Chhengtay was a beneficiary of our scholarship in 2017, and she has four sisters. When she was a child, she used to go to the rice field with her father, to catch fish or frogs, or to the forest to find vegetables to eat. She came from a very poor family, who had no choice but to find and sell food for a living. And in her interview for Children of the Mekong, during his time in London, he shares with us her dream of becoming a businesswoman.
Today, she has succeeded in lifting her family out of poverty, we are happy to share with you that she has found a job as a finance manager in an international management company. She is now also able to support her family, she is supporting her sister in her secondary education by living with her in Phom Penh. As for Kosal, her story and her achievements are a very inspiring model for all the children in her country.