DOCTOR NHOR CHAMROM
[no longer a student but what an inspiration for the new generation]
About 15 years ago, Nhor Chamrom was just beginning her medical training in Phnom Penh.
To get to that point was a massive achievement in itself.
A girl….from a remote village in the poorest Cambodian province, born into a very poor family with virtually no formal education and facing little prospect of a better future….. had made it to medical school!
And there she was… against the odds….. in company with students from wealthy families who had never had to worry about tuition fees or having enough to eat.
How did Chamrom manage to do this? Two reasons:
1. Good people recognised her potential, believed in her and were generous and consistent in their support.
2. Chamrom herself was determined to do everything possible to achieve her goal of becoming a doctor and make a difference to her family and her country.
And so, thanks to her unrelenting hard work, unquenchable spirit and the financial support of a couple from East Anglia, by 2020 Nhor Chamrom had become ‘Doctor Nhor Chamrom’ with two medical degrees under her belt and currently the highly respected Manager of Pet Yiey Chee Welcome Centre for the Sick in Battambang.
If ever an example were needed of why we should support girls and young women in education, surely Doctor Chamrom is that example!!!!
Hers is an extraordinary story and one that deserves to be better known. Look out for it in the Autumn issue of ‘Mango’ to be published in mid–September.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE NEW GENERATION OF STUDENTS THAT, WITH YOUR HELP, SUPPORT CAMBODIA IS ENABLING TO FOLLOW THEIR DREAM:
KEO SREY ORN is 24 and from Pailin Province. She has five sisters, three of them married and one, Toni, who has a disability, is a teacher. They are a farming family but her mum has poor health and her dad is now unable to work so the sisters have to try to keep the farm running.
Srey Orn dreams of training as a chef, with strong support from her family, especially her sister Toni. The two-year Food Technology and Hotel Services course run by the Salesian Sisters in Phnom Penh costs $2,500 [£]—far more than her family could afford—so Support Cambodia is sponsoring her tuition Approaching the end of her first year, Srey Orn is doing very well. On graduating, she will have a number of opportunities open to her in hotels, restaurants and private catering. It’s not an easy course and the students have to achieve a very high standard in everything, including reliability, honesty and personal presentation.
Srey Orn says, “I always enjoyed cooking but now I am discovering baking – cakes, biscuits, bread – and my ambition is now to start my own bakery. If I can do this, I will be able to help my family and make improvements to my parents’ house”.
It’s the chance of a lifetime for Srey Orn……and she’s determined to make the most of it.
KRUY PISEI is 24. She’s from Prek Toal one of the many floating villages on the Tonle Sap Lake, though currently she is living in Siem Reap. She has one sister and five brothers and her father is a fisherman. Pisei is in her 4th year at university studying IT and wants to work in Communications.
Pisei writes, “English is very important in today’s world. It helps me communicate with people from different countries and understand different cultures. English is also useful for my career because many companies require employees to have good English skills. In addition, learning English allows me to access more information, such as books, websites, and international news”.
Support Cambodia has been funding extra English classes for Pisei during 2026 and as you can see, it’s working well!
VORN VANSAK [20] is the eldest of four children from a farming family. He has two sisters and a brother and his parents are separated so he lives with his grandmother who is also a farmer. Following his parents’ separation, Vansak went to study with the Marist Brothers in Pailin where he completed his schooling in 2024.
For the last two years, Vansak has been studying Motor Mechanics at Don Bosco Technical School in Phnom Penh. If he does well in his exams, he will then be awarded a 3-month internship followed by a final exam and graduation at the end of the year. Recently, Vansak received a letter of commendation for coming 3rd in his class – a reward for his perseverance.
Don Bosco Schools are known for high-quality training and for successfully placing all their students in employment so Vansak has a bright future ahead.None of this would have been possible without the support and encouragement of Brother Gustavo at Marist Brothers Pailin and more recently, Support Cambodia.
Vansak writes: “ Me and my family would like to express our deepest gratitude for helping me with my studies and helping solve our family’s burden. I wish you all good health and long life”.
BOUN NAKRY [20] & NICH NICH [26]
Nakry and Nich are both trainee nurses at the Pet Yiey Chee Health Centre in Battambang, where Doctor Nhor Chamrom is the Manager. Both have come from parishes within the Battambang Prefecture [a partner of Support Cambodia] and their nursing training is being supported by an Australian medical team, working alongside the Health Centre for more than 10 years.
However, the Health Centre sees many, many patients each day, mostly Cambodian, but also a growing number of people who do not speak Khmer. Much medical information is also written in English, making fluency in English an increasingly important part of nursing training.
Nakry and Nich are now in their second year of English classes, funded by Support Cambodia.
Their stories are a wonderful example of how targeted financial support, long-term partnerships and ongoing education create lasting change, enabling young people to grow and give back to their communities.
SOK BRATHNA [20] is from the Prek Toal floating community on the Tonle Sap Lake. He has two younger sisters and is just finishing his second year [of four] at university studying Information Technology.
Brathna’s ambition is to become a programmer and work in the digital world.
For this, he will need good English and so Support Cambodia are sponsoring him on a three month intensive course in English at the Pannasastra University of Cambodia Institute of Foreign Languages [PUC-IFL] in Siem Reap, starting in September 2026.
Brathna is a conscientious student and the PUC language course has a reputation for very good results so the combination should be well worth it!!He writes, “ I just finished my second year exams [in IT] and now my team and I are working on a new website project.
Thank you so much for supporting [my English classes]”.
In his [very little] free time, Brathna enjoys volleyball and Khmer food, especially soup, of which there are many varieties!!
SEAN MAO is 26 years old, one of a family of seven boys and two girls. Their parents work for the Catholic Church and the family are all Christian.
Mao did not attend university. Instead, he did a vocational course in Electricity and Air Conditioning and he too currently works for the church in Siem Reap. Mao also does essential community work, visiting families and generally helping to facilitate the running of a parish that covers six centres over a huge geographical area of Siem Reap Province. He’s a busy man!
“I am a driver”, says Mao. “Every Sunday morning I go [to the] village for bring people to join Mass. I like my job, I am very happy. My dream is to be an English teacher and help people know about English. I want to say thank you so much for supporting me to learn English”.
Like Brathna and Pisei [see above] Mao is also studying at PUC-IFL in Siem Reap and Support Cambodia are sponsoring his three month course.
