This Life Cambodia Internship Program: some stories

This Life Cambodia’s Internship program is designed to give high school graduates an opportunity to further their learning, through university study and on-the-job training. The diversity of our staff’s knowledge, education and experience provide a great opportunity for intern students to grow and learn in a working environment. Through sharing knowledge and skills, This Life Cambodia can contribute to the intern’s development along with building their capacity for future success.

The Internship Program is currently targeted at high school graduates from Krabei Riel and Danrun Danrun Communes, who come from disadvantaged family backgrounds. We have offered the internships to the top two students from our scholarship program, Roun Phkay Proek and Chhoeu Visal. The two interns were selected from a pool of the brightest scholarship students assisted by This Life Cambodia, as assessed via the Internship Project’s selection process.

About Our Previous Interns

Oeur Saloeurn

Oeur Saloeurn is from Sramor village Darun district, Sothnikom commune, in Siem Reap Province. Saloeurn has 8 brothers and sisters and her parents are farmers. Saloeurn is the only child to achieve a high education in the family. Her brothers and sisters dropped out school to help their family to earn income and support Saloeurn to study.

Saloeurn commenced her internship with This Life Cambodia in 2011, after she finished the national exam in Grade 12. This Life Cambodia offered Saloeurn the opportunity to learn in a new environment and be supported to continue her studies at university for two years. Following the two-year internship, Saloeurn was offered a role working for This Life Cambodia in the position of Program Officer. In this role Saloeurn supports other scholarship students.

Saloeurn graduated university in 2014 and moved on to another position in This Life Cambodia in the Lower Secondary School Development Program (LSSDP) focused on the education sector. Saloeurn feels she has improved her knowledge of reporting, organizing events and training, and that she has built good communication with stakeholders. Saloeurn is also proud to guide another interns to be aware of their roles and responsibilities during their time with This Life Cambodia.

Saloeurn is proud to work with TLC because she has strengthened her knowledge and abilities to work within the community development sector. She hopes she can contribute her knowledge to support other students in rural areas. See below for a photo of Saloeurn (right) with Visal, a current TLC intern.

Sreineang Noy

Sreineang grew up in a rural area of the Krabei Riel commune, one of the communities that This Life Cambodia chooses its scholarship students from. Sreineang was selected to receive a scholarship and here her adventure with This Life Cambodia started.

Sreineang received a two-year scholarship to study at Build Bright University as well as private computer skills and English classes. Sreineang began working with This Life Cambodia in 2011 as an intern whilst also completing her Bachelor of Banking and Finance at university. Sreineang now works full time for This Life Cambodia as the Finance and Administration Officer. She has always had a dream to work with finance and one day hopes to work in the Alceda Bank in Siem Reap.

Sreineang is very thankful for her position in This Life Cambodia and values each day that she is able to be surrounded by the kind and inspiring people within This Life Cambodia. Sreineang gains inspiration from those around her such as the deputy director, Se, and the chief of finance, Sopheap, as they are always happy to help her and teach her new things. Se and Sopheap are always willing to teach Sreineang things such as new knowledge about bookkeeping and other general finance information. This is one of the reasons why Sreineang enjoys working at This Life Cambodia.

Sreineang is incredibly appreciative of the internship she was given at This Life Cambodia as this was an amazing opportunity for her and provided her with the chance to improve her English skills both spoken and written, and also to expand her knowledge within the field of finance. Serineang appreciates the work that This Life Cambodia does and can see the incredible value in the programs they provide to the community. See below for a photo of Sreineang.

Savath Oeur

Thanks to the internship at This Life Cambodia, Savath is able to study at Build Bright University. Savath is now in his 4^th and final year of his General Management course.

Savath is living in Siem Reap and works for Phar Cambodia Circus as a Customer Service Officer and has done for almost a year. Savath is now able to continue to study at university, by paying for this by himself from the work that he does with the circus. At some points Savath has had to delay university due to cost, but is determined to finish and is managing his expenses to further his education and achieve his bachelor degree.

By interning with This Life Cambodia Savath feels he gained the experience of how to work in various situations, He also feels he was able to become more confident speaking English.

Chenda Chhhot

Chenda continues to study at Build Bright University, and is now in her 4^th and final year of her course in Rural Development.

Chenda is living in Krabei Reil, and working for an NFP organization called Trailblazer, in the position of General Assistant. Chenda is now able to pay for her own university fees through the work she does with Trailblazer, and has had no problem paying these fees for the last 2 years.

Being an intern at This Life Cambodia helped Chenda a lot. She feels the current position she is fulfilling at Trailblazer is directly relevant to what she learned and how she performed at This Life Cambodia. The skills she learned at This Life Cambodia, including computer and English skills, are directly transferrable to her current employment.

All interns, whether still in the TLC Office or working elsewhere, continue a strong relationship with This Life Cambodia staff and seek support and advice when needed.