The Cambodian Youth areis Hhungry

(“youth” is used collectively for a group, therefore, plural)

In Tthis research trip to Cambodia, Phnom Penh has been very rewarding. I learned a lot about the local culture of the society and metwhile meeting some really inspiring individuals working on amazing projects. More importantly, I witnessed the drive of the young Cambodians.

During our visit to a province an hour away from Phnom Penh, we had the opportunity to spend a few days with an NGO working on community development in that area and fighting against human trafficking. We lived under the same roof with about 20 other children. It gave me a wonderful opportunity to learn more about their lives.

On one of the nights as I was about to head to bed around 12:30am, I peeked outside my room and saw 2 of the boys still reading their textbooks. These guys had to wake up at 5am the next day to prepare for the day. Each morning, they do housework and attend different classes to learn English, agriculture, computer and so on. In the afternoon, they attend school between 12pm to 4pm, and their school is about an hour bike ride away from where they live.

I had the opportunity to speak to a few of them about how they felt about school. They always reply with such zest when asked about learning. Going to school, in their own words, is a privilege and they feel really lucky to be able to attend school. From the village which they come from, most of the children do not even attend school. The families in their village simply cannot afford to send their children to school. Despite all these, there is a deep-rooted belief that learning is the way for them to move above their life circumstances.

Back in Phnom Penh, I befriended a guy who is working as an administrator in one of the guesthouses. When he was younger, he used to work as a stall vendor in night markets while attending school in the day. Today, he attends night classes on Accounting and Business Management on top of his regular job which requires him to be working for more than 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. When asked about his motivation, he felt that normal schooling is generally not enough to equip him with skills for a job as a knowledge worker. The only solution is to make full use of any time he has to attend classes to improve and learn some useful skills.

“Stay hungry. Stay foolish” popularized by founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, seems to be living within the youth here in Cambodia. Just as I was reflecting on this on a tuk-tuk (popular public transport in Cambodia), a motorcycle whizzed past, and a girl was reading her school notes while riding pillion. I hope that we will one day be able to bring education to every child in this world.