Stories that inspire: |Portraits| The web series by Children of the Mekong
Some are waiters, others lawyers or teachers. Each story shows the transformative power of education, inviting us to reflect on what success truly means.
Children of the Mekong’s new web series, “The children we once were”, directed by Xavier Guignard, tells a moving story of courage and hope. From humble beginnings, these children have built something priceless through sheer determination: confidence and pride in all they have achieved.
“We live in an unfair world! The less educated you are, the harder it is to find a good job.” Standing in front of Cebu City’s Palace of Justice, the Philippines’ second-largest city, Manuel speaks to the camera with quiet confidence. Despite a busy schedule, the young lawyer kindly agreed to answer a few questions for Children of the Mekong. Calm, direct, smartly dressed, and smiling effortlessly, Manuel seems at ease with responsibility and public speaking. It is hard to imagine he grew up in anything other than privilege. Yet when he talks about the scarce opportunities for children from underprivileged backgrounds, his experience speaks for itself.
MANUEL
“I am the eldest of eight children and I come from Inayawan,” Manuel says, letting the name speak for itself. Inayawan is a slum built around a former incinerator, now an open-air dump where the poorest families scavenged rubbish from dawn till dusk, selling whatever they could for a few coins. “By the age of nine, I was picking rags,” he recalls, openly connecting his father’s illiteracy to the harsh reality of their lives.
HAN
Han’s story echoes the same struggle in Cambodia. Originally from Oddar Meanchey in the north-west, she now lives in Siem Reap, famous for its temples and tourism. Smiling yet slightly nervous in front of the camera, Han speaks openly about her journey. “I realised early on that knowledge was essential. I had to study to get a job that would provide a good living for me and my family.” Like Manuel, she does not hide her humble beginnings. “My parents could barely read and could never help me.” Raised by her grandparents after her parents separated, Han grew up understanding the meaning of hard work. “While others went to the market for food, we had to find ours in the fields and forests near our home,” she recalls. Every day she caught frogs, fetched water, and did small jobs to earn a little money.
SON NO
This story will be familiar to many families in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Son No, another young hero from the series, shares his experience: “When I was in Year 6, my parents had no money left. They went to Thailand to find work.” He was only ten when he was left alone for two years and had to learn to manage on his own, cooking, eating and living independently. “I would get up alone in the mornings, and after school return to an empty house. I would cry when I saw families on my way home, thinking of my own.” Son No smiles as he recalls this simple truth, but his eyes betray the emotions behind it. He sits in the dim light of a classroom in the secondary school he now leads. The young headmaster speaks openly about the hardships of his childhood. He does not shy away from admitting that there were moments he wanted to give up. This is the heavy burden children carry when their shoulders are too small for such loads. Like Manuel and Han, Son No came close to giving up. All knew despair. Yet through courage and sponsorship, shame turned into strength and a refusal to accept fate. Their words carry even more weight because of it.
SING SONG
Sing Song knows better than most what it is to feel hopeless and on the verge of giving up. These were familiar feelings throughout his childhood. Sitting in a trendy café in Phnom Penh, he admits candidly, “There were times I even thought about taking my own life.” As a boy, he worked as a herdsman in a remote rural area, where school held little value. “People mocked us and looked down on us just for learning to read.” Everything changed when he discovered a book. “At thirteen, I was sponsored by Children of the Mekong.” A sponsor in Europe supported him each month, giving him the encouragement he needed to stay in school. “At the Children of the Mekong Centre, we had philosophy lessons, and I came across a book on the life of Buddha.” It was a revelation. Sing Song began applying its teachings to his everyday life, starting with a lesson that would change everything: everyone faces hardships, but it is the obstacles we overcome that truly matter and are worth celebrating.
HOME, AWAY FROM HOME
This was a motto Han could have made her own. When she entered Year 7, her life took a new direction. Thanks to her sponsorship with Children of the Mekong, she joined a centre where she no longer had to worry about food or earning money for her family. For the first time, she was free to focus on what she loved most: school. Her smile widens as she recalls life at the centre. “It was like one big family. We were like brothers and sisters,” she says. More importantly, it was there that she discovered a passion for hospitality and catering. “Working in this field is hard and exhausting, but I love the chance it gives me to meet new people and connect with them,” she says. She has not lost sight of her responsibilities to her parents. “My greatest hope is to help my mother and, one day, buy her a house,” she adds. This dream became possible not only through her sponsor but also thanks to her own courage and determination. She admits openly, “It was important for me to work hard so I could support my family in return.” Her vocational training, intense and demanding, allowed her to pursue her ambitions while meeting her family’s financial needs.
4 PATHS, ONE STORY
What unites these four young adults is a shared love for their work and a passion for people. For Sing Song, this calling appeared early, while he was still at school. He quickly realised that lessons were all wrong. “In Cambodia, teachers talk and students listen. Everything is so passive. When I became a teacher myself, I knew I had to do things differently!” Today, as a young teacher, he is determined to help students take an active role in their own learning and to drive change from within Cambodia’s classrooms. “With knowledge, we can live a better life.” This is not just a saying or a wish; it is a belief forged through trials and tears. The toughest and most lasting lessons come from experience. “It does not matter how big your house or car is. What truly matters is finding inner peace.”
DRIVEN BY THE SAME PURPOSE
In northern Cambodia, in a rural area much like the one where Sing Song grew up, Son No shares the same drive to transform his country from within. “When I realised how lucky I was to have a sponsor, I decided to challenge myself and keep going with my studies. Giving up was no longer an option!” he says. Today, he looks after hundreds of children, many of whom, like him back then, have no parents. “My work is education, especially for the poorest children. I am proud to give back,” Son No says, his voice full of feeling. None of this would have been possible without his sponsor. Inspired by years of support, he created a boarding house at his school for students who, like him, have lost their parents. There, they have a room, a kitchen, and a small vegetable garden, giving them the stability to focus on their studies.
SPONSORSHIP WORKS WONDERS
Back in Cebu, Philippines, Manuel shares the excitement of his fellow students. “In a word, sponsorship is a miracle. It’s magic,” he says, beaming. For Manuel, everything changed the moment he met Children of the Mekong. “Today I handle drug-related cases for the Philippine Court,” he explains, a role of high responsibility that became even more significant under President Rodrigo Duterte. “Without the support of the charity, I might have ended up on the other side of the law,” the young lawyer admits, fully aware of the responsibility he carries. “I need to act wisely. Sometimes I cannot sleep at night. Before I was sponsored, I struggled with drugs and even used them myself,” the young man admits, tensing briefly in front of the camera. He continues, speaking from the heart in a gentle voice. “Sometimes you have to give second chances,” he says quietly, hoping one day to set an example and help the children who still sleep on the streets, just across from where he once lived.
They have turned a difficult past into a source of strength, helping those who have nothing. They love and support their families despite personal struggles, and in doing so, have become role models. These four remarkable young adults are now parents, educators, moral guides. Their journey offers a fresh perspective on life. “Success is about giving more. It is about being able to offer more to the generations that follow,” concludes Sing Song, the philosopher of the group. This, he believes, is the true meaning of success.