Professional Development and Higher Education Scholarship Program: Building a Brighter Future

Project location: Cambodia
Project start date: August 2009 - Project end date: December 2009
Project number: 2009-52
Beneficiary: Global Children

The Professional Development and Higher Education Program: Building a Brighter Future is an education, development and mentoring program that provides full scholarships to University students allowing them to obtain Bachelor's degrees. Global Children's first installment received from The Nando Peretti Foundation was used to begin the fall semester for our current scholarship students. The funds were allocated to many facets of the program for the months of August, September and October whose expenses included a portion of the annual tuition costs for the students (first semester of this year), house rent, food, repairs, university books, health care and more.
The students began their course work for fall of 2009. The Building a Brighter Future program does not limit the field of study for our students. Here is a list of the current students and their areas of study: Yan S.: Accounting, Im K.: Information Technology, Hun S.: Economics, Long V. L.: Accounting, Chhuon S.: Management, Hun S.: Architecture, Rith P.: Information Technology, Oun P. Y: Economics.
The internship portion of the Building a Brighter Future Program is designed to encourage students to work as an intern within their field of study, when possible, in order to add a hands on element to their learning and living experience, while attending university. This internship component of the Building a Brighter Future Program creates a holistic educational opportunity for our students. Currently, four of our eight students are working as interns.
Sitha works for Hello American School as a supervisor; Hun S. works at Khemark University as a cashier; Yan S. works for a computer company as an accountant and Im K. works for a computer company. Our House Supervisor is always working with students to find an available internship position when one becomes available. For those students who will graduate next year, we will work diligently with them to find employment.
This fall we accepted a new student, Oung P. Y, into the Building a Brighter Future Program and he is now in his first year studying economics at the Royal University of Law and Economics. We are particularly proud to have accepted P. Y into our program because prior to his new role as a University student he was a student in Global Children's Orphanage~Visual Arts Program at Kampong Cham Orphanage where we have been working for more then five years. It has been one of our long term goals to increase the number of students who are currently enrolled in one of our other programs, into the Building a Brighter Future Program. This allows us to continue to support these students in the educational, financial, social and emotional realms as they enter adulthood. P. Y was an exceptional student in our art program and in August 2006 was selected as one of a handful of young artists to exhibit their work in Phnom Penh.  P. Y is also one of the few students whose examination scores allowed him to receive a full 4 year scholarship from the Cambodian Government which is paying for his tuition to the Royal University. His housing, food, books and other costs are being fully supported by Global Children. He is engaged in our mentoring and internship component of the Building a Brighter Future Program.
Here is a short biography/letter written by P. Y last year while he was in the Orphanage~Visual Arts Program prior to even being considered as a University scholarship recipient:
My name is Oun P. Y. I was born on April 11th 1980 at First village, Svay Khlang commune, Krouch Chmar district, Kampong Cham province.
I have 5 siblings, two brothers and two sisters. My two brothers are now farmers and my younger sister is a factory worker in Phnom Penh. And youngest sister is studying in grade 8 at Krouch Chmar secondary school. Because my parents' family situation is poor, so they could not support for my studies. They had decided to take me to live in the orphanage. That was why I had a chance to go on my studies.
I have started to live here since 2000. And I transferred my studies from Krouch Chmar district to Kampong Cham town. In 2003-2006, I studied at Toul Thmor primary school. From 2006 until now I have been studying at Preah Sihanouk high school. Besides studying at Public school and learning short courses, I have done chores in the orphanage and I take time to study visual art project of Global Children. I have begun to study it since 2002 until now. I am very happy that the knowledge of this can help me to earn money to support my studies. Now I am in grade 11.And hoping that I will continue it till finishing high school. I want to study at University after passing the examination in 2009. I want to study in Economics at Build Bright University. I have hope that I will be able to have a good job to do and will get ready to continue Master degree.
Global Children is a charitable, nonprofit organization and paying strong attention to solving the problems for orphans in the orphanage. On behalf of an art student, I would like to extend deepest thanks to Global Children that has created this painting and drawing project and it makes me have specific skill to earn some money for encouragement to my studies.
Finally, I would like to say thanks to Mrs. Laura, Executive Director of Global Children in the US and Mr. Loeung Ponlok, Program Director in Cambodia and as well as all staff still have make a close cooperation with each other, and I would like to call for charitable people and donors support all of us. This is our hope in the future.
Thank you!!!
Oun P. Y

More complete updates about the students academic performances and internship opportunities will be available as part of the final report at year end when the students have finished their fall semester.