Sponsor a Girl

Srey’s story tells the narrative of many girls we serve. This is not the actual story of one student, but rather a representation of the many stories we encounter every day.

It’s not easy to play the role of mother when your parents are not always around, especially when you are still a child yourself. Unfortunately, that was Srey’s life. With no father and a mother who frequently migrated to Thailand for dangerous work to support her children, Srey was often left in charge of her two younger siblings.

While her younger sister went to the Children’s Future Learning Center, Srey stayed at home. We often saw Srey waiting at the gates, a younger brother balanced on her hip. She was completely illiterate and had no aspirations to go to school. She told us later that she didn’t believe she was even capable of studying. How could she, when she needed to take care of her siblings?

Cambodian girls growing up in poverty are at a high risk for forced labor in dangerous conditions. We knew that there was a better life available to Srey, if she had the opportunity to study, play, and step out of her role as caretaker to embrace being a child.

When we asked Srey to come to study at Children’s Future Learning Center, her eyes lit up and we saw her smile for the first time. A few weeks later, Srey began attending public school and catch-up classes at the Learning Center.

Our Social Workers spent time getting to know her and her siblings, as well as her mother. With her mother’s support, we arranged for an aunt who lived nearby to become the children’s primary caretaker since her mother is often away. The family receives rice from Children’s Future every month, as well as education about health and parenting.

It took her some time to get used to her new life. She worried about her younger siblings when she was in class, but slowly began to relax and focus on her own learning and her new friends. Over time, she began to believe that she had options for a better future.

Now, Srey loves spending time in the garden with her friends or reading books in the library. She’s a great artist, spending hours in the activity room drawing flowers and women in fancy gowns. She is also learning English and basic computer literacy.
Srey’s transformation over the past year has been amazing. She’s blossomed into a cheerful, self-confident and mature young girl.

Srey says that she would like to become a lawyer to help children, poor people, and women that have been victims of abuse. She even talks about going to the United States, so she’d get to know a different country. It’s amazing to see how much of a difference compassion, support and nurturing can make for a young girl.

Help us ensure that girls just like Srey are given the opportunity to grow and become future leaders.

$35/month
Individual children are not paired with individual sponsors as protecting the rights and dignity of students is of utmost important to us. We foster a model of group sponsorship and invite you to learn about individual students through newsletters, videos, and other sources. We thank you for understanding.