Interview with Mlonh Savuth
He has one older brother and one younger brother. His mother is since a long time sick. The family situation is economically very difficult, his father works on their farm. His parents and the brothers pushed him to study even if the family is financially in a demanding situation.
“My older brother and I came to study to Phnom Penh after finishing high school in Senmonorom. My brother stayed in another Christian dorm. However my younger brother could not finish high school because he had to help my father on the farm. Because I wanted to continue my studies after high school, so I tried to get a scholarship from the government program. But this did not work out. At the same day after I sent in my application toBIPA I received a phone call that I can come for an interview for the BIPA Student Dorm. And I passed to stay in the Student Dorm, I also got support from BIPA to study in Phnom Penh.
First, I took the subject Public Administration at the Law and Economic school of Cambodia for one year and then because I was not sure about my subject, I changed to study nurse. I would have liked to be a nurse from beginning because my mother was sick since I went to the secondary school. I always took care of my mother after school. When we asked the nurse from the village to come, she charged a lot of money. So, I always dreamed to become a nurse or to do something with medicine when I finished High-School and then after when I was studying.
To study nurse first I had to pass a test and afterwards I had to have money to pay the school fee. I passed the test, but I didn’t have enough money and therefore I asked BIPA if they could support me to study. And then BIPA agreed to help. So I switched von Public Administration to nurse for four years. So, the cost for one year is 1000 $. During the study I had to work hard because the specific language for medicine is French. I worried a lot about not passing the exam and repeating one year, because it is very expensive.
But finally, I passed my exam with a good grade. I got a job at the Kanta Bopha Hospital in Phnom Penh. Only those who have a high grade can work in the Hospital in Phnom Penh, those with the second good grade must go to work in the Kanta Bopha hospital in Siem Reap. I am very happy that I can work in this hospital because I like to help the patients. My job is to take care of sick children and to give injections. There are also Bunong people who come for treatment and then the hospital passes the patients to me because a lot of them don’t speak good Khmer and I can help them this way. I feel very good and proud that I can work in this place. My salary range is 600 – 700 $ per month.
I am now very busy with working in Phnom Penh but when my mother is very sick and during the public holiday, I go to Mondulkiri to visit her. Now I can support my family a lot financially with my income. I am very satisfied about my job and my study, and I have never expected that I can reach what I have now. I would like to say thank you to BIPA for this opportunity and the support for accommodation and school fee for 5 years and for supporting me in finding the right direction when I was struggling. Without BIPA’s support I would not have succeed.”