Meet Leakhena, a 44-year-old Sponsor Relations Officer at Cambodian Children’s Fund, who has turned her early struggles into a mission to help underprivileged children find a better life.
As a secondary school student aged around 12 or 13, she would cycle from her village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh into the city to attend evening English classes. It was a perilous journey for a child.
“It was a long way. I would cycle 30 or 40 minutes from home. There were no lights at night, and the road was muddy and dangerous, with robbers and accidents. It was hard to make this journey as a girl; I was afraid, but I had to do it because I wanted to study English,” says Leakhena.
Leakhena made the trip daily, paying around 75 cents an hour to study English.
“My motivation was to get an education. I knew that an education and knowledge was how I could change my life.”
My father knew that if I didn’t go to school, I would keep working like him
Leakhena embodies resilience and compassion, attributes honed during her difficult upbringing.
As the eldest of five children, she witnessed firsthand the struggles of her rice-farming parents, who barely made a living in the countryside.
“My parents were very poor. Even though we [the children] wanted to study, they could not support us,” says Leakhena.
However, her parents recognised that education was the key to escaping poverty for their five children, and they scraped enough together. Leakhena attended the local school in a pagoda, which lacked sufficient teachers and equipment, but at least she could be in a classroom.
“Farming was hard for my parents. My mother did not have an education. My father knew that if I didn’t go to school, I would keep working like him and those before, so they worked hard to give their children a chance to study like others. After school, I would go to the rice field and look after the cows to help my parents,” says Leakhena.
Leakhena was born after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, but her parents, who had lived through those dark times, wanted their children to have brighter futures.
The investment in her education paid off: Leakhena became the first in her household to attend university. Her tuition was covered through support from her parents and grandmother and the money she earned from teaching English part-time to young children. She graduated in 2008 with a degree in English Literature.
After teaching at a small private school, Leakhena joined Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF) as an English teacher in 2012.
She embraced every opportunity to support her students in the classroom or behind the scenes. The joy of seeing her former students succeed and greeting her with “Hello, teacher” remains one of her greatest sources of pride.
I want to help underprivileged kids to have the chance to study, as I did
Over a decade at CCF, Leakhena’s role as a Sponsor Relations Officer has allowed her to expand her impact. She now helps 44 children from kindergarten to university communicate with their sponsors, motivates them to study hard, and builds relationships with international sponsors.
“The reason I want to work in an NGO is because I have the opportunity to help underprivileged kids to have the chance to study, as I did,” says Leakhena.
Leakhena enjoys collaborating with her close-knit team. Her colleagues sometimes jokingly refer to her as ‘ma’ [mother] since she is the eldest member of the team.
A mother of two daughters, ages 14 and 12, uses her teaching background to assist her girls and ensure they maximise their education. Her husband is also a teacher. Life is busy looking after her family and working full-time.
These days, Leakhena’s parents no longer have to toil away in the rice fields. Their children help support them, and they have a small Khmer house to rent out for income.
All the siblings have done well. Leakhena’s two sisters are accountants, while her brothers have their own business selling water.
Leakhena dreams of one day leaving the city and living once again in the province, with views of a mountain and surrounded by nature. She has never travelled outside Cambodia and would love to visit Australia.
For now, she’s focused on working with CCF and sponsors to improve the lives of her country’s children.
“I am very happy and proud to be working with CCF,” says Leakhena.
“I would like to thank all the sponsors who help support kids and poor families in Steung Meanchey and Cambodia. With help, these kids can change their lives and future, just like I did.”
