By Reaksa Soun
The economic situation in Siem Reap
We live in different parts of the world and have very varied living situations and tastes in life. Some portions of the world have been destroyed, while others are in good condition. We will never believe that the virus Covid 19 explosions, the Ukrainian war, and climate change have occurred so far. We have learned to deal with how we are able to survive and how to keep ideas moving forward through ground breaking work. Even if we knew worse things were going to happen in advance, we still did not know what to do for life and economic security and how we had made any preparations for those disasters because family economic instability, poverty, and hunger would occur.
When our stomach is empty, it is the absence of education. Over three decades of civil war in Cambodia and over three decades after the war has been over, Cambodia remains on the list of poor countries namely during the time of Covid 19 Virus pandemic, the war in Ukraine and presence of the climate change, the country of 16.01 million and its economy has been fallen into vulnerability and social insecurity has arisen, they are based on instability of agricultural production and its chains, instability of exports of goods and services, the economic importance of non-traditional activities, merchandise export concentration, a handicap of economic smallness, and the percentage of the population displaced by natural disaster in this current situation of climate change.
Cambodia has larger land in agriculture, and about 85% of its population are family farmers who experience extreme challenges mostly impacted by the climate. Further impacting this industry, the roots of illiteracy in Cambodia and the undervalue of education from older generations have it's own challenges, impacting growth , particularly in rural townships across Cambodia.
For these reasons, I am truly grateful for the dedication of my parents and the support from Dave, Steph and Billy Stitch Distilery for opening the educational door for us to follow our dream. We are so grateful for every step that we take on this journey.
Dave and Steph's impact on our family
Dave and Steph have helped us a lot. It all began from 7 years ago during our first meet at our homestay. I remember that one specific night when we were talking at the dinner table and I explained my family financial problem and how I won’t be able to continue my study at ACE ( Australia Centre for Education). Fortunately, they wanted to support my education, financially, and they did. They do not just support me alone, but also my two other siblings Kanica and Sopheak and my cousin Srey Mai as well. I would say that was a life changing moment for our family. Being able to get access to education is our dreams and to get supported for that means a lot to us.
My brother Sopheak and I were unsuccessful in making it to Australia last year despite Dave and Steph’s best efforts since we failed the test required for our visas. The outcome we were experiencing had caused a delay in the plan. After all, they still continued to sponsor my studies for my university, which is truly one of my best opportunities. With their help, I was able to attend a school of my dreams to study. They have a significant personal influence on me since they enable me to go on a new chapter of my life and encounter people and situations I never would have experienced. I still find it hard to comprehend that I’m attending my dream college. We are genuinely grateful for our relationship and the support. They made a huge impact in our family, without their support, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
