SUCCESS & INNOVATION

A 13-year-old student studying in Grade 7 at Chi Peang Secondary School, living with 3 members in an old small house in Memai village, Krek commune, Ponhea Krek district, Tbaung Khmum province. Miss Chin Chakria uses an old motorbike to go to school where it takes 10 km from her home. Her parents do not have clear jobs to do. They work as wearers, weeding, spraying potatoes, picking mangoes, picking peppers and picking fish to earn a living. They have worked very hard in those jobs, even under the sun shining or in the rain, they still determine to overcome all the hard work to earn money to support their family and fulfill their daughter's goal of becoming a teacher. Their income from those jobs is not much, which is why her daughter takes time off from school to help with housework, to help earn money, pick peppers, pick mangoes, and sell fish to her father in order to earn some extra income for her study expenses.

Miss Chin Chakria has fortunately received a scholarship package from Happy Cambodia Children (HCC) project which co-implemented by KAPE with collaboration with Kruosar Yoeung Association. Particularly, she receives an additional UD$50 per month from the family of the President of the Kinchan Foundation to alleviate her studies. Miss Chakria is a student who has the courage to persevere, has a good attitude, been friendly, diligent, attentive, learned, helpful, friendly, and is a young girl who has high commitment to study to achieve by following her goal to become a teacher in the future. Miss Chakria was the former member of the student council at Memai Primary School, one of the project target schools, before she has passed to study at Grade 7 of Chi Paing lower secondary school.

"I am very happy to receive great encouragement from Grandma Ulla and Grandpa Hartmut, as well as Mr. Seila, who try to take care of me by providing a monthly budget to support my study. I will fulfill my desires and I promise to work hard, persevere, strive to reach my goals. I will try my best to correct any gaps in my studies, so I will not disappoint my supporters. On the other hand, I would like to thank my parents for always encouraging me. And I would like to thank Grandma Ulla, Grandpa Hartmut and Mr. Seila as well. In order to achieve my goal as a teacher, I will try my best to learn, understand the duties of teachers, seek information and additional knowledge to develop myself. I need to understand and find new experiences, such as teaching students who are lower than me. I am looking for disadvantages and the advantages that I will do those in the future. I determine not to drop out of school, no matter what the obstacles are, I must challenge those. I think that doing something has always been met with some obstacles. And those are not easy at all," said Miss Chakria.

“At the first time, I thought I could not help my daughter achieve her goal of becoming a teacher because my family life was very difficult, but now I am very happy. It is very hopeful because the teachers, especially Mrs. Ulla and Mr. Hartmut have helped teach and support my daughter. I will always encourage her to study until she achieves her goals”, said Mr. Sok Mara, Chakria’s father.

Chakria receives scholarship materials such as student uniforms, bag, shoes, books, pens, math materials and hygiene items. At the moment, Miss Chin Chakria become better and stronger. In her spare time, she often reads books and researches other documents to meet her aspirations to become a primary school teacher in the future.

The target group of Happy Cambodian Children project is focused on girls and vulnerable children, ensuring that they have access to a better education in the target area, especially children's reading and math skills from a basic level. Miss Chakria, on the other hand, is a special student who has the courage, specific goals and determination to study hard and show her true identity and family to the owner of HCC project, so she receives support in her studies. The HCC project is co-implemented by KAPE with collaboration with Kruosar Yoeung Association and works seamlessly with all stakeholders and governmental institutions.