How ISF’s Education Programme changes lives – Srey Roth’s story

Like many Cambodian children, Srey Roth*, now 18, was uprooted from her native Prey Veng province when her parents emigrated to Phnom Penh, seeking better employment opportunities. Despite what they had hoped for, they could only find low-paid jobs and with the city life being expensive, they could not afford to send their daughter to school.

In 2007, Srey Roth’s father was introduced to ISF Education Programme and after visiting their house to learn more about their living situation and interviewing Srey Roth and her parents, ISF decided to enrol her.

After studying hard and staying driven despite the pandemic and the school closure for months, Srey Roth graduated from high school in 2021. Eager to learn more and to achieve a better future, the young woman decided to enrol at the Cambodian Garment Training Institute (CGTI). Her efforts and good grades allowed her to receive a full scholarship to study the Advanced course in Apparel Merchandising. This extensive course encompasses various subjects such as Fashion Merchandise Buying, Garment Construction and English; her favourite subjects being Digital Apparel Design and Apparel Production Sequence. She already completed this six-month training course and is now working full-time as a compliance officer at a garment factory as part of her curriculum. ISF Employment Programme staff supported her during her higher education and working career, providing her with guidance and holistic support, such as food parcels, educational materials and uniforms.

When asked about the future, she wishes to pursue her studies with a bachelor degree in administration or accounting with the goal of working in the same field as she does now.

In addition to her education at the CGTI, Srey Roth also attends weekly online mentoring sessions with Linklaters volunteers. She realises how important these mentoring sessions are for her studies and career. Her mentor provides her with guidance and shares advice based on her extensive work experience and education background. These sessions also give Srey Roth the opportunity to discuss her everyday life and challenges she faces, as a student and as a young woman.

To her, the most meaningful skills she gained from those sessions is her improvement in English and in communication. She has also learnt more about workplace etiquette in different countries outside of Cambodia. In the sessions to come, she would like to attend training in Interview Skills and Techniques, CV and Resume Writing Skills.

This mentoring is different from anything else she has experienced before and allowed to dream further and to set goals for herself that she would not have pictured otherwise. ISF Employment support is primordial to Srey Roth and her future as her parents could not afford to send her to school, which would have dashed her chance of finding a proper job and getting a better future.

*Names have been changed for privacy reasons.