When ISF made a video about its Education Programme in 2015, one of the catch-up students we spoke to was Bunleng. In the interview, he said he wanted to be a businessman. Two years later, he is one of our first three Grade 12 students – all pictured below – to finish high school. He is now studying Chinese and still wants to be a businessman. We can’t wait to see where his incredible drive will take him. This is his story.

“My name is Bunleng. I am 20 years old and live with my family in the Stung Meanchey area of Phnom Penh. I went to state school for two years but then had to drop out. My family couldn’t afford to pay for the books, food and other things I needed for school.

A year later my mother found out about ISF, and I was eventually selected to start third grade at ISF. My parents were very happy because ISF not only helped me to attend school but also supported us with food parcels every month. Before that, we often didn’t have enough to eat, and my mother used to go down into the drainage system next to our house to pick the plants growing in the water for food.

We still live next to the drainage system, but our life has improved because we don’t have to spend all our money to survive. My father is a tailor and my mother takes care of my little brother at home. My sister is also an ISF student in grade 11.

Before coming to ISF, I thought I would end up as a construction worker or some other kind of labourer. I had no hope for the future. I am so proud that I have managed to get this far. The last year of high school is very tough. I studied so hard and took extra classes for the subjects I was poor at. At home, I did all the homework my teachers assigned me and went through the previous year’s exam papers. They really helped me to visualise what the real exam would look like. I practised a lot, especially in the three months before the exams.

I was really nervous about the maths exam, but when I saw the questions they were very familiar, so I got a really good result. I was also worried about chemistry because it was the subject I was weakest at. But to my surprise I got an A. My hard work paid off! My overall grade was a C, which I’m thrilled about. It’s thanks to ISF and everyone who supported me that I was able to get this great result.

I’m currently applying for scholarships so I can start a bachelor’s degree in business management. I’m also studying Chinese. My dream is to earn a master’s degree abroad, possibly in China. I want to be a businessman in the future.”