I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Water and Environmental Engineering from ITC and a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. I worked as a research assistant at the Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering at ITC for 3 years.

Do you know why I decided to study engineering? 

which most people consider as a man’s skill? Some people have said to me,

“When I wanted to learn engineering, did I think of what I could do? How much can I withstand? 

But because of this contempt, I want to eliminate these negative concepts from our society. What I determined to do after graduating is to find a real good job that can solve social problems, especially in the water sector. I understand that women play a very important role in the water and sanitation sector, but they don’t seem to have many full rights and opportunities in this field yet. Therefore, I want to encourage all women to dare to overcome and move forward with what they want to do.

After graduating from high school in Kampong Cham province, I decided to apply for the entrance exam at the Institute Technology of Cambodia (ITC), a reputable educational institution that provides students in a variety of disciplines, of which very few are female. After passing the entrance exam, I chose a major in Water and Environmental Engineering, which its courses focused on theoretical and practical knowledge on calculating, designing, planning, and operating water treatment and allocation systems, wastewater treatment and sewerage systems, as well as skill on building sanitation/plumbing and various environmental solutions. 

The most wonderful time, I received a “Women in WASH Scholarship” by the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) Aid through WaterAid Cambodia and implemented by the Center for Sustainable Water in my third year.

The scholarship not only supported my school fees and living, but also provided me with many great opportunities to attend and gain extensive experience related to WASH, as well as some hard and soft skills. It has inspired me to be a young woman influencer in WASH and put me in more efforts to studying hard for my future contribution to addressing to the problems related to WASH in Cambodia.

Through this scholarship, I had a lot of changes in my personal development. I used to be a person who wasn’t talkative, a coward who wouldn’t go anywhere alone. Now I am a brave woman with more confidence to face new things, new people. I am also knowledgeable to make a presentation in front of many people. These changes will provide me the best ways to achieve my dreams in the future. 

One of the things that changed my life was my volunteer work in Toul Chan village, Chea Lea commune, Batheay district, Kampong Cham province, which is far from other villages, the road is difficult to travel, and the lack of clean water. I felt very pity for the villagers because it was a problem I had never encountered before. I was very emotional and while I was helping to distribute clean water to the villagers, I met a 70-year-old woman. The grandma said with a sad face that “The water that you distributed was not enough to help me for life, but it could save my family in the event of a water shortage.”

Most rural communities still don’t have access to clean water and sanitation. The people don’t seem to care about that WASH practices, because they have been accustomed to this situation for a long time. It has become a habit of living without safe drinking water and it has become a culture of open defecation in the forest nearby or by the river. They continued to do that even though they faced all these things, because they had no other choice. They don’t know what will happen if they continue to practice such blame. 

Currently, I am a research staff member working on water treatment processes. My contribution to WASH is that I can apply all my knowledge to help solve critical water challenges through research and innovation.

To the women who dream of making their mark in WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), I offer this heartfelt message:  Empower yourself through education, your voice can shape future of the world.