University Education for Young Women in Cambodia

Lotus Outreach’s CATALYST program not only offers assistance to ensure girls finish tertiary studies and/or skills training programs, but also provides timely employment and further education orientation for high school girls under the Girls Access To Education (GATE) scholarship program and which is implemented by a local partner, Cambodian Women's Crisis Center, (CWCC) at Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

Earlier this month, Lotus Outreach Cambodia collaborated with the GATE Siem Reap Officer to offer orientation on higher education, vocational skills and career options to 29 GATE Scholars at Samrang High School and 17 GATE scholars residing in Kompong Kdey District, Siem Reap Province.

Preparing students at this higher level ensures they understand what subjects they should be studying to match their further education and training choices. It also helps them understand where and how to apply to universities and training institutes, as well as where they can get scholarships to reduce their tuition costs. In some cases, they can secure a full residential scholarship.

The day started with a game: balloon piercing! The students were asked if they have ambition. They were asked to blow a balloon as big as their ambition and raise the balloons up in the air as high as possible to show just how ambitious they were. Afterwards each of them was given a toothpick and asked if they believed they could poke the balloon with the toothpick without popping it. Most said it wasn’t impossible, except for two students who believed it could be!

Then the students were asked to pierce their balloon. Everyone gave it a try despite their hesitations and fear, except one student who was too scared to bring herself to do it. Another girl who believed it would work managed to pierce the toothpick into the balloon without bursting it! She was asked to come to the front of the room but keep her balloon behind her back so the others couldn't see how she did it.

Soon after, the other students began to figure out how to do it, too-- screaming with excitement! It was fascinating for both those who could do it and those who couldn't when those who had figured it out were asked to share how they did it. Sun shared her wisdom. "It's our mindset and belief that hinders us from getting the best out of ourselves,” she said. “Once we believe in something, we will find ways to make it possible." Another student, Yin added that "believing alone is not enough; thorough analysis and strategies need to go hand in hand. Evidently, one of us who believed it would be possible to poke the balloon without popping it didn't make it as she didn't study the balloon and analyze how to do it."

After the game, students were asked to write down all the jobs they knew on a flipchart and then a self-assessment test was introduced. The test asked a series of questions about likes and dislikes, matching these to careers classified into six categories: Realistic Jobs, Conventional Jobs, Investigative Jobs, Artistic Jobs, Social Jobs and Jobs of Enterprising. Job suggestions where given for each category so students could cross check the career they had in mind with the career that suited their personality and interests. Knowing this would help them decide what skill or major to apply for after high school.

The program enlightened the girls to all the opportunities available to them after high school and taught them how to apply. It also provided students with a a set of 30 Career Introductory Videos produced by Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, of which they were asked to pick 6. These videos helped them to have a better understanding of what each job is all about such as Researcher, Travel Agent, Computer Networking, Administration, Project Facilitator and Logistics.

Students were very interested in all the topics and they were actively involved throughout the workshop. The happiness and excitement were palpable over having received more knowledge about vocational skills training, university scholarship opportunities and job opportunities. They asked that the program continue, crediting the workshop with opening them up and positioning them for a better future!

In partnership with Cambodian Women's Crisis Center (CWCC), the Lotus Outreach International CATALYST program at Siem Reap and Phnom Penh offers assistance to ensure girls finish tertiary studies and/or skills training programs and provides timely employment and further education resources for high school girls under GATE scholarships.