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

Moa Tom 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, Cambodia.

Moa Tom has two siblings and she is the second child in the family. Moa Tom’s father passed away five years ago, and her mother works in a factory over the Thai border, so Moa Tom and her siblings live with her grandparents. Moa Tom’s mother sends money back to the family from Thailand, but it is not enough to support the family.  Additionally, Moa Tom’s grandparents own one hectare of farmland that can produce 700kg of rice per year, which is still not enough to feed the family for long. The living situation is very difficult as Mao Tom’s grandparents are elderly, so it is only the mother’s income that supports the family.  Sometimes, to help financially, Mat Tom’s grandfather works taking care of neighbor’s cows and buffalos.  When Moa Tom’s mother and grandfather are working, and her grandmother is working on the farm, she is responsible for caring for her younger brother and taking care of the house.  This results in Moa Tom missing school as she has responsibilities to tend to at home.  Despite all the hardships Moa Tom has undergone, she has never given up on her studies, and hopes to one day become a teacher.

Date Posted: March 2018