Build dreams! Send Cambodian Students to College!

2020 has started off with a bang !  

This week one of our Kasumisou Scholars has received the very exciting news that, on her second attempt, she passed the examination for admission to the only nursing school in Phnom Penh.  She will begin her study early in the new year and she  will  at last,   be on a track to realize her long held dream to have  a career in nursing.

This young lady, now 19 years old, has grown up together with her older sister, in our  Family Support Program (FSP) and she  has, since the middle of last year, been working part time at our Champey Academy of Arts. 

The girls’ mother died in our program in 2002 and left behind two daughters, then aged about 3 and 5, who have since then been in the care of their mother’s childhood friend and who, for many years, received support from our family support program Both sisters have, for many years, been sponsored for their education expenses by a generous family in the U.S. and that family has expressed an interest to help with the very considerable cost of the three year nursing program on which the younger sister is about to embark. 

This young scholar and her older sister who also works at our Champey Academy of Arts  also studies at a university with the support of a scholarship provided by Kasumisou Foundation.  Both  have come a long way from the days when they and their mother were homeless and their mother was critically ill and soon to pass away. 

We are very proud and  hopeful for this young woman who has overcome so much adversity in her life and who   is now about to pursue the nursing degree which will make her career dreams a reality and by doing so break the cycle of inherited poverty.

The pathway to success for the students in our program is only possible because of the generous support of our wonderful donors. This young lady, like all of our other students, have overcome staggering obstacles , working many years against incredible odds to  achieve  their dreams of completing a college education.

Our very best wishes  for a wonderful 2020    to all of our donors.  Truly your support of this young lady and our other students has changed lives . On behalf of our students and ourselves, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your generous supporr. 

Barbara & Mark Rosasco

Great news for one of our students! 

As we had previously reported, the path to entering into a full time college program can be a challenging and  multi-step process. One key qualification is that students must pass the national high school examination to obtain  a high school diploma. It is estimated that about only about 65% of students pass the rigorous national exam on their first try ,  leaving many students to try again. Another challenge  is that the exam is held only once per year, which can mean putting life on hold  as students take time to study.

Our student, Ms.  S, age 22  had not passed the exam  last year and so she could not enter a bachelors degree program directly but instead would need  to enroll in a Associates Degree program. Upon completion of an AA degree, she would be allowed admission to a full bachelor degree program.

Over the past year, Ms. S has continued to study English and other courses at night in preparation to re-take the national exam and at the same time working full time at Champey Academy.

We are thrilled to report that Ms. S took her exam in August and she  has just learned that she   passed the national exam which  will allow her to enter college as a bachelor degree candidate.

We are very proud of our new graduate who has worked hard to achieve this milestone. Ms. S has grown up in Kasumisou Foundation programs and she  has , over these many years ,  always been cheerful ,positive showing  a wonderful " can do" attitude as she continues to conquer new challenges.   The steady and persistent support by our program of  Ms. S and our other students allows them the opportunity to work toward a much brighter future. 

Your generous  donations to our program offers these students the opportunity to break the cycle of inherited poverty and work toward building a new life.

We are deeply grateful to you for your support.

Barbara &  Mark Rosasco