A Journey of Determination

Growing up in a floating village in a stilted house on the edge of Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, Phoun Sophea’s childhood was shaped by the rhythms of the water and the determination of his parents.

The middle child in a family of five, he had to paddle a small boat to school in the rainy season, navigating the lake to receive an education that his parents, who earned a living fishing, never had the opportunity to pursue.

“When I was young, I would use a boat to go to primary school. We didn’t all have one, so we would stop by different houses to pick up other children along the way,” remembers Sophea.

”It was just the kids in the boat but because we lived by the lake we knew how to swim, so our parents didn’t worry about us. It would take around 20 to 30 minutes, sometimes in the wind and rain, when it was hard to row.”

Sophea would study in the morning and help his parents in the afternoon, fishing with a net. The family lived day-to-day; fish caught from the lake provided money and food on their table.

But as Sophea progressed in school, new obstacles arose. His village only offered education up to Grade 9, forcing him to make a life-changing decision: move to Siem Reap city to continue his studies or stop altogether.

Determined to build a better future, Sophea left his home and parents for Siem Reap, where he lived with his aunt.

“My family was not rich and I faced a lot of challenges going to school. My family could only make ends meet, so we didn’t have money. I went from one temple to another to attend English classes because it was cheap in the pagoda. The monks would teach English and you just pay a little money, 25 cents or less,” says Sophea.

It was there, in an English class at a pagoda, in 2010 that he met a woman who would change his life forever. Eileen, an American teacher on vacation, happened upon his class and was invited in to help students with pronunciation.

Sophea, eager to improve his English, struck up a conversation with her—and their bond quickly grew. He took her to the lake to meet his family and see his everyday life.

Before she left Cambodia, Eileen made a promise: she would sponsor Sophea’s university education.

“On the last day before she left Cambodia, Eileen said to me ‘I want you to be my grandson’. She said she would support me to go to university,” recalls Sophea.

With Eileen’s support, Sophea was able to study at university, first in Siem Reap and later in Phnom Penh, where he moved to a better university. “She paid for everything, my tuition, my rent, and a monthly stipend,” says Sophea. Eileen also helped his younger brother attend university.

Moving to the capital city was a daunting transition. “When I first arrived, I got lost a lot,” he admits. “I rode my bicycle to school and couldn’t find my way home. I had to call my younger brother, who had moved to Phnom Penh before me, to come and get me.”

But he adapted, worked hard, and eventually graduated with a degree in International Relations, a milestone that Eileen celebrated by taking him on his first-ever flight—to Singapore and Malaysia. “That was my first time on a plane. I was shocked and excited at the same time,” he remembers. “It was shaking, and I was nervous, but it was an incredible experience.”

After university, Sophea spent three months volunteering with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), assisting with school infrastructure projects in rural areas. It was this experience that led him to Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF), where he began as a Sponsorship Relations Officer in 2017, working with young children.

“I love working with kids. It’s my passion, my nature,” he says. “After high school, I volunteered part-time with an NGO, so I knew I wanted to do something that helped children on their path in life.”

Seeing the level of poverty in Steung Meanchey, where CCF works, was a jolt.

“It was a shock,” admits Sophea. “I also had a tough time growing up but to see these kids scavenging was heartbreaking.”

While Sophea deeply enjoyed working with CCF’s students, a new opportunity arose in 2022 that aligned with another passion: helping the elderly. Recognising his warmth and maturity, CCF encouraged him to transition into a role as Granny Sponsorship Coordinator. In this position, he visits grandmothers in the program, provides updates for sponsors, and ensures that they receive the care and support they need.

“The kids are full of energy and have bright futures ahead of them, which makes me happy,” he reflects. “But working with the grannies, it’s different. Many of them have had such hard lives. They are getting older, they get sick, and they share their pain—both past and present. It’s heartbreaking, but I feel privileged to be there for them.”

Spreading happiness is part of his job.

A recent treasured moment was joining a trip - paid for by a donor - to take CCF grannies and grandpas back to his home city, Siem Reap, to visit the famous Angkor Wat temple and Kulen Mountain (a place of cultural and spiritual significance).

Sophea, kind and thoughtful, is gentle and warm with the grannies and grandpas.

“I love working with people and I am proud that I can contribute to helping people as much as I can,” he says.

Through it all, Sophea remains deeply connected to his own family. His parents still live in the floating village, now shifting their livelihood to selling shrimp due to the decline in fish populations. He provides financial support for them.

”My parents are just making ends meet, just enough to survive day-today. I have two nephews under my wing to help too. My brother cannot find much money from his business, so I am going to help them when they grow up, save money to send them to school and university,” says Sophea, 34, who lives with his younger brother in a small rented shophouse.

“Some people joke that this is why I’m still single,” he laughs. “But my priority is my family.”

Despite his responsibilities, he makes time for himself, often spending weekends in coffee shops, watching movies on his laptop and reading about history, particularly World War I, World War II, and the Khmer Rouge era. He has tried to learn more from his mother about that dark period, but the memories are too painful for her to share.

Now, Sophea looks to the future, grateful for the opportunities he has received and determined to continue making a difference in the lives of others. “Education brought me to where I am today,” he says. “It changes lives. When I see CCF kids start in kindergarten and grow up to graduate university and get jobs, it touches my heart.”

As for Eileen - the fairy godmother who made all his dreams come true - the two are still in touch. Eileen, who travelled to Cambodia several times again after their first meeting, is now in her 70s and unable to visit anymore. They catch up on video calls from her home in Chicago.

“There are no words to say how much Eileen means to me,” says Sophea. “Without her, I probably would not have been able to go to university.”

When he first started working at CCF, Sophea saved up $100 and sent it to Eileen as a ‘thank you’ for all that she had done for him. He had intended to treat her to a meal out when she next visited Cambodia but had to improvise now she cannot travel.

”She called me and she cried,” says Sophea. “She told me that I should be saving up and not sending money to her.”

Sophea now wants to give his parents their first experience of travel, as Eileen once did for him.

”My parents have never been on a plane. I told my father that one day I will pay for everything so they can fly. I need to get them passports first,” he says.

Until then, he remains committed to his work at CCF, helping children and grandmothers alike find hope, stability, and a brighter future.