Congratulating our Zambian partner on the opening of new Community Agriculture Center
16/05/2019
Women Empowering Communities
03/06/2019“I love education! My education is not over. For me this is a lifelong process.”, says Mrs. Vanthorn, one of the very few women who continued her education in spite of being married. In Cambodia most women, once they are married, give up their education to take care of the household tasks. Discover directly from Mrs. Vanthorn’s voice how she has found a balance and the impact that the PSA program has had in her life.
It all started when Mrs. Vanthorn attended a training on personal and community development organized by the Cambodian Organization for Research, Development and Education (CORDE). Her initial hope was that the seminar would help her to develop the necessary skills to start a business. Inspired by CORDE’s educational programs, her initial plan changed into a strong commitment to education: she started teaching children and youth in her community and talking with parents about the importance of girls’ education.
Discover directly from Mrs. Vanthorn the impact that the PSA program has had in her life.
“In my community people have an old mindset about the role of women. They think women don’t need to be educated because once they get married, they will stay at home and take care of their husband and other household tasks. This is what motivated me to join CORDE’s programs. It builds capacities in the community, helps women to move forward and to think about their education.”
Mrs. Vanthorn during one of her activities with youth in the community.
When Mrs. Vanthorn joined the program, she was still a single woman. Once she got married, many expected her stop her activities. However, she continued teaching at her local school even when she was pregnant of her first child. With the support of her parents and her husband, she later enrolled in CORDE’s University for Education and Development and graduated as one of the best students in her class. As a mother of two boys and a community teacher, she always thinks about how to improve the quality of the education and is more than ever convinced that this is the best way she can serve her community.
