We have received an update from our Cambodia Rural Students Trust representative Sreypeou Mao.
She has just finished her Level 4 English class at university and has so far maintained an excellent grade of over 90% for the last year. In addition to her studies, she has been a volunteer at the local hospital helping out in the Pharmacy, a role which she has just finished. She is also a very active member of the Trust and the local Rotoract Club. From building houses to empowering young women to repairing bikes and delivering solar lights to rural students, I am sure you will find her update interesting.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hello from Cambodia, my name is Sreypeou Mao. Currently, I live in Siem Reap Province. I was born in a farming family with my parents, three brothers, and two other sisters, which is a countryside area in Pursat Province. The distance from Pursat to my home is about 70 kilometres. As we are a poor family, most of my siblings had no chance to go to school and only my younger brother and I could go to study.
My brothers and my sisters went to find jobs to support our family, but their jobs were not professional, just the staff at a garment factory or construction. When I was in secondary school, they couldn't help us anymore because they had their own family and they needed to help their family, too. I faced a lot of problems because my family had no money to support my studies, especially the secondary school that I needed to learn was located near the local market which as around 30 kilometres from my home.
No matter how difficult it was, my parents still decided to continue to support my studies. They work for pay from others in the village that we live in. Of course, I was happy to continue my studies but I was upset that I could not help my parents. In 2020 I was in grade 10 my parents were getting old, and they could not support me. Fortunately, for me, COVID-19 school closed, I went to find a job to support my family but I still study as normal because the teacher taught online. In 2021 I saw a scholarship announcement on the internet from Cambodia Rural Students Trust ( CRST). Next, I applied, and I passed this scholarship at the end of the year. I moved to SiemReap alone. I started grade 12 at SiemReap, a new environment, and a new look, everything is new for me.
My life is completely different because I studied at a private school with high quality named Future Bright International School (FBIS). I faced a lot of challenges but I could solve those problems and I could improve myself to be a strong girl. After that, I finished high school at FBIS in 2023, and I went to Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia (PUC). Now I am in level 4 of the English program and maybe in April I will be in university majoring in Business Administration.
I admire CRST because it gives me a lot of opportunities to get new experiences. Nowadays, I have held roles as a Production team member of Project G – Empowering Girls and Assistant Communication Manager of Project L – Light for Education. I joined as a Rotaract member in the middle of 2023. Since I was selected as a CRST member, I could join activities to help society such as building houses for families who need our help and fixing bikes for students who study in rural schools. Last but not least, I am happy to be a part of helping my society, I want to see their hope for a better life.
I was selected as a Rotaract member of the Club of Siem Reap (RACSR) in the middle of 2023. The reason that I joined this club is because I want to help my society and make a connection to the world, especially because I want to get new experiences. I know the RACSR through CRST organizations. Since I joined this club, I have involved with many activities and meetings and I can understand what is the Rotaract means. Recently, the club had an election but I did not apply because I want to know more and more about the Rotaract. Moreover, I am fantastic that I can be a part of helping my society through this opportunity.
Building House Activities: I volunteer to build a house for people who are poor and they need help from us.
I feel so excited when I am involved in this activity as I can help them to have their own house to live as a family, as well as they have a comfortable place to live. Last Sunday other students and I contributed to build a house for grandma Sang who is a poor family. We also had guests who joined us that were from the Rotary club.
After we arrived at that place, we ate breakfast together and the organizer separated us into different parts. I was in the setting team where we dug the ground for the stands. I did not care wherever I was because I focused on building a house and finding a way to do it easier. Communicating between leader and team members was important as we needed to know the process to do it faster. During the activity, we had a chit chart about some stories and the experience of building a house.
Next, sitting was finished around 12PM and we had lunch together and took a break. In the afternoon, I was not sitting any more but I helped to assist everyone who needed help. It may not finish at 5PM or 6PM because it was a new strategy, as well as we used zinc as a wall so needed to put the wall later. Everyone tried to do it so hard together as we wanted to finish at 5 PM as always, especially since we had guests join us so we did not want to be late. However, this house finished at 9PM, I am so surprised it was too late but the house is beautiful and new looking.
It was fantastic that I was involved in making a comfortable house for grandma Sang. This house can protect her from the rain, wind and heat, and she will not be worried any more.
Project G Empowering Girls: I have been leading packing kits activities that produce kits to contribute to female students in the countryside. It can be used instead of a pad and is safe for the environment. As I am leading these activities and taking photos, I have no photos but I show the kits instead of my picture.
Project L – Light for Education: I have attended distribution of solar study lights to students who live in rural areas and do not have electricity for self-study and homework at night. They can do homework and read books when they have this solar light.
Project B - Bicycles for Education: I have contributed to fixing bikes at schools which are located in the countryside and far away from Siem Reap town. We help to repair students’ bikes and we want them to have a good bike to go to school and motivate them to get higher education by supporting their transportation.
Thank you so much Rotary Club of Camberwell for supporting my education. I can find myself today because you are a part of my development. I will do my best both by studying hard and working hard, especially when I commit to being a good person and helping people around me.
Love you all from Cambodia!!!