Scholarship Students Move to the Workplace!

Namva, Chenda and Chanya are some of PLF’s most recent success stories. All have recently graduated from PLF’s scholarship program and landed fantastic jobs in three different fields. Interestingly, PLF supported each student in different ways. In our scholarship program we tailor the support that we offer based on the goals and needs of each student.

From the moment we met Namva we knew he was bright and driven, but lacked the basic skills to succeed once he finished high school. Due to his family situation, we also knew that it was a priority that he found work after graduating.  PLF worked hard to improve his English and computer skills during his time in our high school scholarship program, to prepare him for life at work. Now Namva has secured an entry level job at Siem Reap’s provincial offices, utilizing the skills that he developed under our wing.

Chenda was always one of the brightest and most dedicated students in our high school scholarship program. She also had a clear goal for the future – to be the General Manager of one of the five star hotels in Siem Reap. Her questions to us were: “How do I get there from where I am now? What should I study at University?”

It’s rare that PLF advises our students that University isn’t the best option for them, but in Chenda’s case that’s exactly what we did. After graduating from high school Chenda started a 1-year vocational training course with the Shinta Mani Foundation, one of PLF’s local partners. She was based in Shinta Mani Hotel, one of Siem Reap’s most prestigious 5-star hotels. Her course involved half a day of classroom-based learning and half a day of on the job training in the front office department. Chenda graduated top of her class and went on to secure a job at Jaya House, Siem Reap’s newest 5-star hotel, owned by the previous General Manager of Shinta Mani. She’s still improving her already excellent English skills with our continued support, and will soon begin to study a second language.

Chanya was a graduate from the Angkor High School Dormitory for Girls. She secured a government scholarship to study nursing at Battambang University, around 3 hours from Siem Reap. This scholarship allowed her to study free of charge, but with no student loans in Cambodia and coming from a poor family, how could she support her living expenses in a city where she didn’t know anyone?

Chanya’s University Scholarship consisted of a modest living stipend, allowing her to support herself and continue her University studies. Just this month, she graduated and secured a job as a nurse at Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap. She fought off a lot of competition to land this role.

We are grateful for members of the PLF family who support the structure that helps our older students access meaningful work. This structure includes high school scholarships, workshops, skills training through vocational schools, English & Technology instruction and University scholarships.

Through these initiatives our students are able to break out of the trap of “unskilled labor “and instead secure jobs with clear career paths and promising futures.