Savean Srong

My name is Srong Savean. My mother died when I was 7 years old. After my mother passed away, my life was like food that misses an ingredient. My four siblings and I had to live with my grandparents who were old. My father had to work at a farm alone all day and earned money to support us. Have you ever thought about a life without warmth from a mother?

I don’t have a mom to take care of me, look after me or even make me have warm feelings.

When I was hungry, I didn’t have mom to ask for food like other children in my village did. I could only ask for food from my old grandmother or older siblings. My childhood was not complete. From day to day, I had to hide my sadness and my bad feelings. I could not get what I wanted. Do you know? Life without a mother is like a kite without a destination. I always felt

lonely whenever I saw my friends who have a mother to pick them up from school. Every new school year, I needed new uniforms and school materials, but all I could do to get them was to walk around the village from one house to houses to sell bananas or fish that my brothers caught.  Sometimes, my older brothers climbed coconut trees and picked coconuts to sell. I had

to walk to school for almost nine years. After I graduated from secondary school, I had to continue my studies at high school which was far from my house.

In 2015 I studied at TASSEL in my village. I was very happy because TASSEL taught students English for free. Unfortunately, when I graduated from high school I had to quit TASSEL because I had to attend college. I really wanted to become a teacher in TASSEL since I was a student there and I always hoped that one day I would work with TASSEL. Both Khmer and foreign teachers really inspired me to be a better person. During my first year

at the university, I worked as a dish-washer at a restaurant. I wanted to earn some money to support my studies so that I could help my father spend less on me. Then, I worked as an English teacher for a private school for one year but I often thought about TASSEL and tried to contact one of our teachers if I could join. 

In 2017, I applied to TASSEL and I passed. I was absolutely happy at the time because my dream came true . I have been working with Tassel for 7 years and I love working with TASSEL so much. TASSEL not only teaches poor children English but also teaches them to become good people. When they have problems in their families, they come and talk with the Khmer teachers who always encourage and give them a warm feeling. Moreover, TASSEL takes old people to the hospital when they are sick, gives them rice, medicine, and clothes every year. Especially, the foreigners that come are kind and they share true love to us. We also have a senior program twice a month which gives the elderly hopes in their last life. Their warm smiles are my happiness and makes me to do even more. I hope Cambodia will be changed in the near future by TASSEL. I want to see people in my country love and help each other, leaving selfishness behind. This is why I joined TASSEL.