Journey During WiW

I think you might be wondering why I chose to study engineering rather than other majors?

Because many rural areas in Cambodia have experienced water shortages, and they usually use water that comes from ponds, streams, or wells. In my family, for example, we used water from wells or ponds, regardless of whether it was clean or harmful. I couldn’t imagine the consequences for villagers after using unclean water.

When I first started at ITC, I found it difficult to adapt because I was a student from the countryside and was not very proficient in English and French. I was not as accomplished as my classmates because most of them were from wealthy families and had many more opportunities to learn languages. Their studies went smoothly, but I had to work much harder to catch up.

During my second year, my family faced many problems that made me want to drop out of school, but my parents encouraged and supported me to continue my studies because they wanted me to have a good job in the future. Fortunately, in my third year, I received the “Women in WASH Scholarship” provided by the Center for Sustainable Water (CSW), funded by WaterAid Cambodia.

Through this scholarship, I had an opportunity to participate in the “Young Professional Program,” which taught me both hard and soft skills such as blog and vlog writing, storytelling, video editing, leadership, public speaking, and communications. What surprised me the most was the opportunity to participate in the FollowME Project, a WaterAid Cambodia initiative to showcase young people’s storytelling about their journey to become young professionals working in the WASH program. I shared my knowledge and connected with other like-minded Cambodian youth and community members.

Since participating in this program, I have become more aware of the many challenges facing communities associated with WASH issues, especially unclean water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene in their daily lives. This is one of the reasons why I became interested in becoming a young influencer in Cambodia’s water sector.

I believe that all the benefits I gained from this scholarship would be an advantage in addition to my degree. This is a contribution to meet the needs of human resources, as we truly need more women professionals working in the field of WASH in Cambodia.

After graduating with the WASH scholarship, I worked as a site manager at a private company, managing and operating water supply for people in rural areas. I am so glad to bring clean water to this location. Moreover, I manage projects, team installations, water treatment operations, and other site operations that provide safe water to people. There are many challenges to adapt to and solve, but these challenges provide valuable lessons to learn.

Now I am working on water supply in the rural area of Pursat, helping people in this location use clean water in their daily lives. I am working on water treatment plant and pipeline management installation at the site. I graduated with a master’s degree in Water and Environmental Engineering. As for the challenges, it was difficult to find direction and internships during my studies.

To the young girls, please follow your goals or your heart—it will bring you to a good place and a great environment. Even if you cannot succeed as quickly as planned, remember that you will achieve your goals one day, and keep going.