This article was written in 2010 while I was working for World Vision Cambodia.
An active child club
leader Sovannin dreams to be a teacher
Twenty-year-old Sovannin Ny lives with
his grandparents who are farmers. “My mother passed a way because she had a stomach-ache
when I was only 10 years old; a month later my father got married
to another woman. My grandparents took care of me and all my siblings,” shares
Sovannin, a second son of seven siblings.
“I was really sad and felt hopeless when I lost my mother. My school performance went down. My siblings always had arguments and we were really poor. We do not have enough food to eat, and we only have worn-out clothes to wear. I remembered once, I didn’t have clothes to wear to school, so I wore my grandmother’s clothes. I do love studying, and my dream is to be a good teacher,” sadly says Sovannin with his grandmother sitting near him. He added, “My health was really bad because we had never cared about hygiene. I got sick of malaria and typhoid, and we slept without mosquito net, and the house was always dirty too.”
With sad face, Sovannin continues, “I used to help my family by working on another person’s farm so that I can get little income in return. I never have any warmth or love from parents. I had to work hard to help family in order to put food on our table and fulfill our hunger. I couldn’t focus on my study well. My grandparents are really kind to feed all of us even when they were very poor. They both always give us warmth and take a good care of us.”
In 2007, Sovannin met World Vision’s staff, Vey Sok, a Transformational Development Facilitator of Kulen Area Development Programme, who gives Sovannin advice to open a children club in order to teach other children in the community. This idea really touches Sovannin’s heart, since then Sovannin started to practice by trying to gather youngsters in the community to study with him, he teaches English language. “There were many children, including girls, who used to spend their time playing snooker, now those children have come to join our children’s club. I am advised by Mr. Vey who encourages me and I can always approach him for advises,” smiles Sovannin.
Being a leader of a children’s club, Sovannin plays an important role in transferring education to all club members at the community. He grins, “I am always invited to join any trainings of World Vision, and I always teach to all club members about what I have learned. All club members and I conducted a campaign to fight against Malaria, Domestic Violence and Bird Flu to educate all community people. Head of village, head of commune, and community people now recognize me. I am said to be a good example for all the children in the community.”
Through his activeness and participation in trainings facilitated by World Vision, Sovannin has gained knowledge about how to live a healthier life with hygiene as well as live without violence. He says, “My family has changed now, we know how to live with hygiene, we are thrifty and we can earn from planting vegetables. I myself have improved through my understanding and I always get encouragement as well as advice from World Vision staffs.”
Sovannin’s younger brother is a sponsored child, Nith Ny, 11 years old, who studies in grade 5. Sovannin is an outstanding student and he is well known by other community people through the children club’s activities that he leads.
“I thank WV that always invite me to join in trainings and WV staffs also keep encouraging and advising me. I hope I would set a good example for all children in my community. My dream is to be a good teacher because I was helped by teachers in pursuing my study,” said Sovannin.
With many wrinkles on her face, Sovannin’s 53 year-old grandmother, Rey Chhim said, “My grandson is good, he always does chores; he never brought problems to the family. I am happy because the community people consider him a role model and that he encourages other children to behave well. I always push my grandchildren to study hard and live with a good life.”
“I was really sad and felt hopeless when I lost my mother. My school performance went down. My siblings always had arguments and we were really poor. We do not have enough food to eat, and we only have worn-out clothes to wear. I remembered once, I didn’t have clothes to wear to school, so I wore my grandmother’s clothes. I do love studying, and my dream is to be a good teacher,” sadly says Sovannin with his grandmother sitting near him. He added, “My health was really bad because we had never cared about hygiene. I got sick of malaria and typhoid, and we slept without mosquito net, and the house was always dirty too.”
With sad face, Sovannin continues, “I used to help my family by working on another person’s farm so that I can get little income in return. I never have any warmth or love from parents. I had to work hard to help family in order to put food on our table and fulfill our hunger. I couldn’t focus on my study well. My grandparents are really kind to feed all of us even when they were very poor. They both always give us warmth and take a good care of us.”
In 2007, Sovannin met World Vision’s staff, Vey Sok, a Transformational Development Facilitator of Kulen Area Development Programme, who gives Sovannin advice to open a children club in order to teach other children in the community. This idea really touches Sovannin’s heart, since then Sovannin started to practice by trying to gather youngsters in the community to study with him, he teaches English language. “There were many children, including girls, who used to spend their time playing snooker, now those children have come to join our children’s club. I am advised by Mr. Vey who encourages me and I can always approach him for advises,” smiles Sovannin.
Being a leader of a children’s club, Sovannin plays an important role in transferring education to all club members at the community. He grins, “I am always invited to join any trainings of World Vision, and I always teach to all club members about what I have learned. All club members and I conducted a campaign to fight against Malaria, Domestic Violence and Bird Flu to educate all community people. Head of village, head of commune, and community people now recognize me. I am said to be a good example for all the children in the community.”
Through his activeness and participation in trainings facilitated by World Vision, Sovannin has gained knowledge about how to live a healthier life with hygiene as well as live without violence. He says, “My family has changed now, we know how to live with hygiene, we are thrifty and we can earn from planting vegetables. I myself have improved through my understanding and I always get encouragement as well as advice from World Vision staffs.”
Sovannin’s younger brother is a sponsored child, Nith Ny, 11 years old, who studies in grade 5. Sovannin is an outstanding student and he is well known by other community people through the children club’s activities that he leads.
“I thank WV that always invite me to join in trainings and WV staffs also keep encouraging and advising me. I hope I would set a good example for all children in my community. My dream is to be a good teacher because I was helped by teachers in pursuing my study,” said Sovannin.
With many wrinkles on her face, Sovannin’s 53 year-old grandmother, Rey Chhim said, “My grandson is good, he always does chores; he never brought problems to the family. I am happy because the community people consider him a role model and that he encourages other children to behave well. I always push my grandchildren to study hard and live with a good life.”
-Ends-
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