A Day in the Life of Maly

Not so long ago, Maly spent her days scavenging through the toxic waste of Phnom Penh's former Steung Meanchey garbage dump alongside her mother, searching for anything they could sell to survive.

Today, at 18, she is preparing to become the first person in her family to attend university. She has represented Cambodia at an international robotics competition in Panama, discovered a passion for science and engineering, and dreams of one day running her own automotive company.

Her remarkable journey is one of determination, and the life-changing power of education.

At 5:00am, while much of Phnom Penh is still asleep, Maly is already beginning her day.

Living with her mother in one of CCF's World Housing communities in Steung Meanchey, she starts each morning helping at home before riding her electric scooter to Neeson Cripps Academy (NCA), where she is a Grade 11 student, around 7.20am.

For Maly, school is far more than a place of learning. It is where she discovered her passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and began imagining a future that once seemed impossible.

"I want to study automotive mechanical engineering or computer science at university," she says. "One day, I would like to run a car company and build and repair cars."

It is an ambitious dream, particularly for a young woman in Cambodia.

Maly is also deeply involved in robotics, a passion she discovered after watching older students working on projects at NCA.

"At first, I didn't know what robotics was," she says. "Then I saw the senior students studying it and became interested."

In 2025, Maly travelled to Panama as part of an international robotics competition, FIRST GLOBAL Challenge, as part of a team of four representing Cambodia alongside students from more than 100 countries.

"It was so exciting to be on a plane for the first time," she remembers. "The take-off, from the ground to the sky, was amazing."

The experience opened her eyes to different cultures and possibilities for the future.

"Panama was beautiful and very different from Cambodia. I learned so much from meeting people from other countries."

Back in Phnom Penh, Maly's school day is packed. Alongside her academic classes, she participates in Debate Club - one of many extra-curricular activities available for our students - and helps with a vegetable-growing project in the rooftop garden on top of the NCA.

At lunchtime, she returns home to eat the meal her mother has prepared before leaving for work as a cleaner.

Maly also enjoys football at our new sports facility built in the shadow of the old dumpsite where she once spent her time picking through garbage to find recyclables to sell.

After afternoon classes, Maly's day is far from over.

From 5:30pm to 7:00pm, she volunteers with CCF's Food Program at our Prek Toil school, helping feed hungry children in our communities and developing her leadership skills.

She also teaches extra classes to younger students on weekends, sharing what she has learned and encouraging the next generation to pursue their own goals.

"I want to be a leader and help younger kids," she says.

Her commitment to helping others is shaped by her own childhood.

Maly joined CCF in 2017. Before then, life was difficult. Following her parents' divorce, her mother struggled to support the family alone. Aged just eight, Maly found herself helping her mother scavenge through toxic rubbish on the former Steung Meanchey dumpsite.

"I remember being on the mountain of rubbish and seeing the big tractors digging the land. I was scared of the tractors," she says.

Everything changed when she joined CCF aged eight.

"CCF gave me everything," she says. "It changed me from a shy girl into a confident girl. I was able to study from kindergarten to secondary school.”

It takes more than education to transform a life. Healthcare, secure housing, clean water, nutritious meals and community support provide the foundation that allows children like Maly to thrive. It is the promise Scott Neeson made when CCF began in 2004—that no child would be left behind—and one the organisation continues to honour every day.

One of Maly’s relatives, Sreymay, age 12, is also now enrolled in CCF’s Operation Rescue program, which helps children who started school late or dropped out of education catch up with their learning. Her older brother, 21, has a job and lives independently in Phnom Penh.

Changing one child's life creates opportunities for others.

This is the promise that CCF Founder Scott made back in 2004: that no child would be left behind. More than two decades later, CCF continues to keep that promise to be there for every child for as long as needed.

Maly wants to become the first person in her family to attend university.

Her remarkable transformation helped the NCA win Best STEM School in the world in the recent Global Schools, selected from nearly 3,000 nominations across 113 countries, and the only school in Southeast Asia to make the Top 10.

Maly’s story was included as part of the evidence supporting NCA’s application.

"I am very proud," she says. "I was happy to know I was part of that achievement."

By the time Maly finishes studying each evening, it is often close to 11 pm. Then she gets some well-earned rest before starting all over again the next day.

When asked what she hopes for in the future, her answer is simple.

"I would like a big house for me, my mum and my brother," she says. "We have always lived in a small house."