WOW – what opportunity and hard work can accomplish!!
This student’s success story clearly shows that what we do as a group is worthwhile. This letter just arrived from a girl who began studying in our English Program when it first began in 2005. She addressed it two two of the Fund’s founding Board members.
“Dear Wynne and Dick,
My name is Teymas Sa, but you probably remember me as Kimas from the English classes. In 2013 I graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and I am currently employed at a consulting company in Phnom Penh, but it wasn’t always clear that I would have a life like this.
Not many years ago, I couldn’t attend primary school regularly because at that time my family didn’t have enough money to support my studies. At that time I felt hopeless; I thought that I wouldn’t have a chance to study like my friends. Sometimes, I dreamed about going to school but when I woke up it was not true at all, and I cried wondering why I had to be poor like that. I always cried but I couldn’t do anything.
Everything changed for me in 2005, when there were funds from your group to support English classes at Sre Prey and I could be hopeful again. I determined that I would try my best, I would study hard. From then on, I worked very hard at studying English. During the rice harvest season, I had to run from our farm for 2 km to go to study. Sometimes I was late. My teachers Husen and Leb Ke always gave me good advice and encouraged me. Both of them are great teachers who always encouraged me to continue to college. When the time came to make that decision I was aware that there would be many obstacles, but I felt I had to go and I would not give up.** Finally, my dream became true. I graduated from college and I got a job where I can put my education into practice and I speak English every day.
Still today I cannot control my tears when I remember how hard it was. I am so proud of myself that I could get to this point, but above all I am thankful to you for providing me with the opportunity to learn English, which made everything else possible.
I want to thank you for supporting not only me but my community.
I wish you have good health, good luck and all best things come to you.
Best regards, Teymas”
**Kimas was in the very first, tiny group of students who graduated from high school and our English Program and who somehow secured private funds to pay for university in the year before two of the Founders revisited Sre Prey, and based on this little group’s story and the excellent English skills of the children established our formal University Scholarship program.
Teymas Sa at University Graduation
