DARA Europe is committed to helping the people of Andong. This is a village, near the capital of Cambodia, where people work hard to break the cycle of poverty. Channa is one of the many young people living in this village. She wants to study so she can get a good job later. Since 2018, she has been a participant in a self-help group for young people set up by SCCO.
Channa is eighteen years old. She lives in the village of Andong with her mother and her four siblings. Channa’s father died when she was young. She is in the last year of high school and is studying hard, at the end of this school year she is going to take exams. In her free time, Channa likes to be active and enjoys sports.
SCCO’s self-help groups
SCCO offers self-help groups organized by Poutheary, the social worker. At these self-help groups, young people learn to deal with both personal and social challenges. For example, they are given tools to handle social media safely. They also learn to take good care of the environment by picking up trash together in their neighborhood. Channa is one of the enthusiastic participants in the self-help group. She says, “In the beginning I was excited to meet new people. Once I had joined the group my self-confidence grew and now I am enjoying being in the group.” Channa participates in trainings, for example, and also helped with the clean-up campaign.
Poutheary organizes meetings not only for young people, but also for parents. She wants to encourage them to have their children attend school regularly so that their future prospects improve. With access to education, the youth of Andong have a better chance of getting a good job later on, allowing them to build a better life.
Channa’s future plans
Channa dreams of studying at the Royal University in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, after her exams. “I would like to become a geography teacher,” she says. Teaching is in her blood; even as a child she enjoyed teaching her friends. Channa continues: “As a teacher, I hope to be able to help the children in Andong and contribute to a brighter future.” She does not yet know if she will be able to study, as her family cannot afford the tuition. SCCO is keeping in close contact with Channa and her family to see how they can help make her dream come true.
Channa is not the only young person in Andong who dreams of a brighter future. DARA Europe supports SCCO, the local NGO in Andong, which helps young people build a better life. Young people like Channa would like to study and do their part to break the cycle of poverty. But they can’t do this on their own (yet).
Would you like to help the youth in Andong build a better life?
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