Sarakk is a 29-year-old student from Cambodia who struggled to complete her education due to financial difficulties. Her mother, a farmer, worked hard to support Sarakk and her siblings after their father passed away. Sarakk persevered through challenges like walking long distances to school. She earned a scholarship from PEPY to study hospitality and tourism in Siem Reap. PEPY has helped Sarakk with housing, English lessons, and career training. Sarakk dreams of becoming a hotel manager to support her family and help others.

1. My name is Sarakk. I am 29 years old this year. I am from Outmal Thmey village, Prasat
commune, Preah Net Preah District, Banteay Mean Chey Province, Cambodia. My homeland
is about 60 kilometers far from the central province. There are 7 people in my family. It is
big but I really like it. My father passed away in 2007 but he left me with some inspirational
words that I never, ever forget. My mother is a farmer and she is quite a bit old but she is
very strong.
Since my dad has passed away, my mother needed to work double times as before to raise
all the children. She wake up around 5 am every day to water all the crops, raise animal, do
housework and do the rice field. She is uneducated because she was born 7 years before
Khmer Rouge regime but she really wants all her children to be educated. She is happy to
do everything in order to make the income for supporting all children to go to schoo l. She
one time told me that her real happiness will appear as long as all children become good
citizen and success in their lives.
As a child, we really to see our parents smile and have happiness in their lives the same as
they want to see us. I then studied very hard since the primary school to high school.
However, I faced a lot challenges as well. I had to wake at 4:30 am at least three or four
days a week cooking rice for eating at my school because I needed to study in the morning
and afternoon since my school is about 10 kilometers far from my house. Since all the roads
were under water during the flooding season, I had to move to live in different place that
close to school such as pagoda or friends’ house. Some of my friends decided to quit scho ol
because it was too difficult for them but I didn’t do the same as them. I still think that it is
still easier than what my mother did. I kept continuing until I graduate from grade 12.
When I was in grade 12 I was so worried. First, I worried about national examination
whether I would pass or not and the second I worried that if I passed what would I do next
since my mother didn’t have much money to support me. However, I studied very hard and
also decided to apply different scholarships even if I didn’t know yet whether I would
passed or not.
Filling the scholarship application was a bit hard for me because I have never done it before
but I wanted to do it and I wanted to challenge myself too. In September 2013, the result of
my exam was shown and I was so happy because I passed and got a good a grade. However,
I still worried because I had to wait for the result of the scholarship. One day, PEPY
informed me that I was selected to have an interview with them. I was very excited with
nervous because I didn’t know what they would ask me. When the day of interview arrived,
I woke very early and dressed very nice and went to interview place before the time they
suggested. While I was waiting, I saw a lot of my friends came in out for having an
interview. I felt more nervous but I believe myself that I could it. When my turn was come, I
went into a room and I saw three people in the interview committee, 2 females and 1 male.

2. They interviewed me in a friendly attitude and behavior that made me feel more
confidence to express my thought.
A few weeks later after the interview, I got a call from PEPY team. They informed me that
they would come to visit my house and meet my family. I was so excited again. I didn’t go
anywhere because I wanted meet them again. When they arrived at my house, they met
with my mother and me. They asked us a lot of questions too. After the meeting was done,
my family and I strongly hope that I would pass.
In November 2013 after I knew that I passed, I started to think about moving to new place
where is new to me. I worried again about what it was going to be? Who I was going to live
with? How were they? What should I prepare for living in a new place? I spent around 2-3
days thinking about what I should pack and bring to Siem Reap. In one morning when the
truck came to get me, I put all my stuff on the truck and say “goodbye my family”, it was
very difficult for me to say goodbye to them as they all gathered together but my mother
said to me that “Child, please take care, be good a friend, a good child, a good student, and
study hard”. I almost cried when I heard that.
When I got to PEPY office, I was very friendly welcomed from PEPY team members. They
made a big welcome poster for us and I felt very happy and warm to see that. It was such
funny thing too because we all brought a lot of luggage here and the ground floor of PEPY
office was almost filled by our stuff. We then headed to have lunch together and went to
join the integration day event provided by PEPY team. They were such very good days to
me because started to know other friends better and we did a lot of activities together and
we had a lot fun too. I learned a lot from those activities such as how to live together, how
to work as a team, how to communicate with other people, and how to access to market.
The last day of the event, I was offer a bicycle named “ Apolo”. I really love it. It then took
me to market, to Angkor wat etc.
We spent a bit long time hunting for the house to live together as a group and I was very
tired because I had to organize the house for living. Staying together in the same house has
taught me a lot more. I learned to look after other friends, I learned to share my feeling to
them, I learned to listen to other people’s life stories and I learned about other friends
characteristic.
I study hospitality and tourism at Build Bright University, which is one of the popular
universities in Siem Reap, and I get there by bicycle. It is about 6 kilometers far from my
house. I study there in the morning. I really to study there because they provide us a lot
assignments to do to Improve our skills.. In the afternoon, I study Information
Communication Technology (ICT), English and Soft skill at PEPY Learning Center. I really
like to come here because all teachers are so nice, friendly, supportive, and kind. All the
lessons are very interesting. All the lessons are designed to help me building my

3. confidence, communication, technology and English. However, I still have some challenges
such a) I can’t speak English properly because I didn’t learn much before, b) I didn’t use
computer well because I have never learned it and c) I am still a bit shy. Even if I have all
these weak points but I am committed to improve it and I think that I can do it.
I have a big dream in my life. I want to be a professional manager in the big hotel within 5
years after my graduation. There are some reasons why I want to that:
1) I really like to meet with new people.
2) I like to learn culture of other countries.
3) I want to share other people about the Cambodian stories.
4) I want to challenge my life in hotel industry.
5) I also want to earn a good income for supporting my life, family and the poor people
as my family.
I have an ambition to share all my knowledge as much as I can do because I want to see
other people growing, becoming a great person and I also want to see other people have a
culture of sharing. “Sharing our knowledge to others for others to share their knowledge to
others”
Finally, I would like to say thanks so much to my family, PEPY, Supporter, and friend who
gave me the opportunities to have a day like this. I am committed to do my best.