New choices open up for Cambodia’s young people

When Tuhn Sreyning was 13 her parents took the tough decision to stop sending her to school.

With four children to support and their rice and cashew crop providing insufficient income, they needed her to stay at home, doing the housework, cooking and helping on their farm, herding livestock and clearing grassland. Also to them these duties were more important than their daughter’s education.

As things improved Sreyning, who lives in Khmaeng village in Ratanakiri Province, went back to school and now at 17 she has graduated from the fourth grade of primary school.  In her free time she is still expected to help out around the house.

Sreyning has joined the Indigenous Youth Development Project (IYDP) which has encouraged her parents to understand the importance of education and to get involved themselves. She herself says she has learnt a lot and grown up quickly; much has changed. She spends her time working with the village elders and has learnt to weave.

Currently, Sreyning studies and works at home and in her free time weaves sarongs and scarves to sell at the market, contributing about 50,000 riels a month to the family’s income.  The IYDP initiative is just one way Cord’s local Cambodian partners, Non-Timber Forest Products, are helping to engage young people in new activities and training. After her own experience Sreyning is  encouraging other young people  in her village to take up that offer.