Girls Be Ambitious

A program that enables girls who are unable to go to school due conditions of poverty to attend one of our rural schools and receive an education instead of having to work in the fields, do chores at home or take care of siblings.

To Be Selected

Phonn Vikay is a 14 year-old-student in the 7th grade at The Kozak Ohana School #285 in Trapaing Arak Village, Chey Commune, Kampong Svay District, Kampong Thom Province.

Vikay has one older brother. She lives with her mother, brother and grandparents, and her father passed away. Her mother is a farmer who owns one hectare of farmland. Their rice farm is in a rain-fed area, so they can grow rice only once a year in rainy season and the yield is very low, only 800kg of rice every year. In order to support the family’s demands, her mother works as a factory worker at the Thai border. Once a month, her mother is able to transfer approximately $50 back to the family.  Her mother has been working at the same factory for almost five years, and comes home once every 5-6 months.  As a result, Vikay is responsible to help with household chores and in the rice field as her grandparents are elderly.  Such responsibilities make Vikay miss school often, but that does not stop her from trying her best in school and always work as hard as she can.

Date Posted: March 2018