Sokly, 23, and her family come from Vaspos village in Takeo province, in the far south of Cambodia. Both her parents are farmers, and her childhood was characterized by a lack of money, to the point where they were barely able produce or buy enough rice to feed her and her 3 siblings. She was busy every day – in the mornings she would cycle or walk the 6 km to school, since her family didn’t have a car or motorcycle. She enjoyed studying, since she knew an education would improve her future prospects and her earning ability. She barely had time to study however, because when she returned home, she had to help her parents plant the crops and feed the chickens and cows. Furthermore, Sokly’s grandparents are infirm, and rely on her family to care for them. This is also a drain on the family’s resources.

She wanted to go to university, and chose Siem Reap for its superior job opportunities. Fortunately, her older brother, a builder, and his family were already living in Siem Reap, so she stays with them. On the other hand, Siem Reap is a 6 hour bus ride from her home in Takeo province, and so she only sees her parents once or twice a year. Moreover, her brother’s family is also poor, and their house noisy and cramped. This makes study difficult for Sokly. She says the Dollars for Scholars initiative has given her a lifeline to be able to complete her studies at university. She doubts she would have had the money to complete all 3 years, and without the scholarship would have soon dropped out.

Thanks to Journeys Within Our Community, Sokly is now entering her first year at Build Bright University to study Finance and Banking. This will provide her with good job prospects, and upon graduation, she wishes to enter the finance industry. She thinks that when she has a better job, she will be able to make more money. With this, she will try and support her younger siblings through their education, and also improve life for her parents. She also believes that with more money comes more power to change things for the better. The marked division of wealthy and poor in Cambodia concerns her, and hopes that in her future job she will be able to help the poor people to prosper. She chose the Microfinance project for this reason, and hopes that she can learn from this experience.