I have been living at the Goducate Children’s Home, Cambodia, for 14 years, since I was 6 years old. Apart from attending the school, like all the other residents, I have been helping with work needed around the Home. As I grew up, I joined the bigger boys helping out with maintenance and construction work.
Since October last year, I have been earning a little money by helping with the building of a church. I sent the money to my family.
At the beginning of this year, I was asked to help out in the learning center at the Home instead when the supervisor had to go abroad for a couple of weeks. For helping at the learning center, I was given the same allowance that I received for helping with the construction work.
I have continued to help out at the learning center. The many days helping the younger children with their schoolwork has enabled me to revise what I had learnt, especially mathematics. The work here has also made me think back about, and be grateful for, the effort and commitment the teachers put into helping us.
The Home has given me an education that is different from that which I would have obtained outside. It has also given me a different perspective on life and an understanding of what really matters in my life.
I love my family very much and so I have been studying hard so that some day I can earn enough to help them. My desire is to study computer programming. I would like to continue helping out at the learning center until such time as I get the opportunity to study computer programming. However, I fear I have to give in to the pressure my father is putting on me to go out to seek work.
Whatever I end up doing I will not forget this Home and the people whom I’ve grown up with and shared my life with there and who have become my family.
To those who have helped me, a big thank you.
*Our guest writer is David Soon
