Student Stories: Written

When Synoeun joined EYC in 2006, she was a 16-year-old garment factory worker who had left school because her family could no longer afford her education. The future she imagined felt out of reach. EYC offered her a second chance. Eleven years ago, Synoeun shared her story in the video below. Today, nearly twenty years after joining EYC as a student, she reflects on that experience in her own words. Synoeun Reflects on Her EYC Journey As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Empowering Youth in Cambodia (EYC) in 2026, I find myself reflecting on a journey that began two decades ago - a journey that redefined my future. My history with EYC began in November 2006 at Aziza School. At sixteen, my reality was defined by working in a garment factory and dropping out of school due to family financial hardship. However, EYC offered a "second chance" that felt like a distant dream. Today, I stand before you not as the school dropout I once was, but as a successful scholar and leader. My academic and professional milestones are a testament to the power of EYC's mission: 2025: Completed a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education (Sydney, Australia). 2015:…

Today, I can imagine a future filled with possibility, not because it was handed to me easily, but because of EYC and people like you, who have always believed in my potential and in youth development. Before EYC, my world felt full of barriers and limitations. I grew up in an environment where educational resources and opportunities were extremely difficult to access, and my parents could not afford English classes for me. When I attended Khmer classes, I saw many students confidently speaking English while I struggled to follow conversations. Feeling behind made me realize that learning a language is not just an academic subject, but a bridge that connects us to the world. In 2019, when my neighbor introduced me to Aziza Thmey, one of the EYC community centers, I did not hesitate or feel afraid. I ran to register. From that moment, my life slowly began to gain color. I truly enjoyed learning and, for the first time, felt that my life was moving forward. Through EYC, I gained much more than English and computer skills. I participated in meaningful programs such as English Practice Partners, leadership courses, workshops, and projects, and eventually became a team leader, mentoring…

MORE ON LYZA Lyza, a vibrant 17-year-old Grade 12 student, has been a part of EYC for seven years, during which she has significantly enhanced her English and computer skills. For Lyza, EYC represents a life-changing opportunity. When she first arrived, she faced challenges in communication and struggled with self-confidence in her creativity. However, thanks to her teachers' unwavering support and guidance, Lyza has blossomed, gaining confidence and honing her skills. EYC has equipped her with the tools to excel academically and pursue her dreams of becoming a graphic designer or an interior designer. A passionate and responsible leader, Lyza shines as the team leader of the EYC weekend art class. She has spearheaded innovative projects, transforming recycled materials like bottles and plastic straws into new creations that can be sold or repurposed. In addition, she inspires her peers to unleash their creativity through drawing. Her ability to remember lessons and spread joy makes her an invaluable leader who brightens the atmosphere for those around her. Lyza lives with her mother, grandmother, and brother. Her mother works tirelessly as a factory worker, while her grandmother cares for children at home. Her father, a driver, lives separately from the family. Lyda's…

MORE ON PANHA Panha, 18, has been a dedicated member of EYC for two and a half years. He plays a vital role as the Team Leader for the Environment Program, where he is responsible for ensuring the school remains clean and well-maintained. Panha holds EYC in high regard, considering it one of the best NGOs he has encountered. He appreciates the diverse programs and scholarship opportunities offered and the supportive and effective teaching that has fostered his academic and personal growth. Panha enjoys listening to music and playing the guitar in his free time. He has strong critical thinking skills, especially in solving math problems, a subject he genuinely loves. He aspires to become an IT programmer, a career that perfectly aligns with his enthusiasm for math and coding. Panha’s life has been shaped by hardship. Following the passing of his father, his mother moved away with his younger sister, leaving Panha to live with his aunt. Despite these challenges, he remains determined to shape a successful future as an IT programmer. STEM PROGRAM EYC's STEM curriculum integrates two dynamic programs that nurture critical thinking, creativity, and technical skills: Scratch Programming and LEGO Robotics. The Scratch curriculum introduces students…

The opportunity for our students to interact with international visitors and volunteers is invaluable. Sharing their stories and learning about the volunteers' lives boosts students' confidence and broadens their perspectives on life in different parts of the world. Meanwhile, visitors and volunteers gain insight into the everyday realities faced by our students. Each participant leaves the interaction enriched by the experience, as illustrated by the reflections of Nancy, a volunteer from Guam, shared below. Dina's Story: A Volunteer's Perspective Dina told me her story as we walked through the neighborhood outside the Aziza school. The street was a throughway for motorbikes and tuk-tuks. It was too narrow for pedestrians and motorized vehicles, so we kept stepping to the side as we walked to let the vehicles pass. In one instance, I was so busy talking to Dina that I did not hear the motorbike behind us. She gently took my arm and said, "Step this way," so I wouldn't be in harm's way. That moment, that one small gesture, spoke volumes about Dina. Those few seconds showed me her maturity, confidence, and gentle kindness. Dina has been at EYC for five years. She learned about the school from a friend…

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly brought many challenges, but it has also created opportunities. One example is our English Practice Partners Program (EPP), which provides our students and staff the chance to continue to practice their English virtually with native English speakers when our visitors and volunteers are unable to visit. Meeting weekly via Zoom, they not only practice their English (pronunciation, comprehension, fluency, and confidence) but get to learn about their partner’s life and country, culture, and customs while sharing about their own. As one volunteer shared, “the EPP helps to bring our scattered world together.” The following profile was written by Lisa, one of our US EPP volunteers, about her EYC English Practice Partner,  Phearak. Enjoy! Meet Phearak Phearak is a student, photographer, artist, musician, hiker, son, brother, nephew, grandson, team leader, dreamer & friend. Twenty-year-old Phearak grew up in the countryside and is the eldest of four. He has two brothers and a sister aged 14, 16, and 18. Phearak's parents are farmers, primarily growing rice, but also growing papaya, mango, lemons, bananas, and a few vegetables. The family lives in a one-room house on stilts, like many other Cambodian homes, and all the cooking occurs outside the house. Phearak and…

Meet Ming Pheap Like many who find themselves living in the urban slum communities of Phnom Penh, Ming Pheap left her home in the countryside in the hope of finding better opportunities in the city.  At sixteen, someone she knew promised they could get her a job in Phnom Penh. Sadly, that job was not what she imagined. The dream of finding work in the city turned into a nightmare when it became evident that she had been sex trafficked. Lacking education and a safe way out, Ming Pheap was forced to make her living as a sex worker for close to 12 years. In 2016, her life changed when EYC staff learned about the precarious position of Ming Pheap and her daughter, and she was offered a job as a cleaner at the EYC school her daughter attended.  The job ended up being a lifeline, providing her a degree of much-needed financial stability and security. Her income as a sex worker was very unpredictable, and there were weeks when she didn’t have money for rent or food.  If Ming Pheap were a couple of days late on her rent, her landlord would lock her and her daughter out of…

Pheary dreamt of becoming an English teacher when she grew up but her high school in the countryside didn’t offer English classes, and there were no opportunities to study English privately. Recognizing that English and computer skills would be critical to Pheary’s future job prospects and her dream of being a teacher, her brother encouraged her to move to Phnom Penh to pursue her schooling. In 2005, after finishing Grade 9, Pheary took her brother’s advice and moved to the city to live with her aunt in the now demolished White Building community. Upon arriving, Pheary met a neighbor who told her of the free English classes offered at EYC’s Aziza school, located on the ground floor of the White Building.  Soon after, Pheary, who was going to high school during the day, found herself each evening in the classroom at Aziza learning English with teacher Rany, who continues to work at EYC to this day. Little did Pheary know at the time that walking into that classroom would open the door to her dream of becoming an English teacher. One of the unique aspects of EYC is the number of former students who go on to become EYC staff…

Imagine at the age of seven, spending your evenings selling balloons to passersby on the busy streets of Phnom Penh. That is the life Seyha, now 21, led for almost a decade. Working often late into the night to earn $1.25-$1.50 to help support his family, he would then search the rubbish for discarded food to eat. He never imagined one day he would be able to speak English, be a university student, and have a steady job -- let alone travel to numerous countries!    Neither his dad, a moto-driver, nor his mum, a seller, speak English, and they both stopped school in grade six or seven. Twice his family faced eviction due to development. They currently live in a rented room at a pagoda area following the demolition of their last home in the White Building slum community.    Life for Seyha began to change one day in 2011 when he noticed kids gathering outside a room at the White Building. He asked what they were doing. They replied they were waiting for their class at EYC’s Aziza school to start and suggested he come along. Seyha had always wanted to learn English, but his family couldn’t afford…

"Find Your Talent. Create Your Future," EYC's motto, could not ring more true than for the life of a young man named Rithy. In fact, when he first heard it, he wondered if it had been written about him and his EYC experience. Once a troublemaker in school, Rithy is now a tenacious, hardworking, and creative talent. So how did a boy totally uninterested in school and not willing to study become a university student, proficient songwriter, filmmaker, and graphic designer? Rithy grew up in the community at the White Building. He comes from a family of five, and education has always been very important to his parents - his father, a soldier, finished Grade 12, his mother, a housewife, completed Grade 9.  When Rithy was young, however, he wasn’t interested in studying and didn’t feel comfortable at his school, and thus often got into trouble. At age 12, after Rithy got into a fight with a school friend, his mother knew they needed to make a change, and she moved him to Aziza, hoping that would be a better environment for him. Going to Aziza opened up a whole new world to Rithy. He immediately felt at home and was…