Poverty no Barrier to Teaching Success
This photo shows So Sothea and her mother Sam Ny. Photo by Isa Rohany
- By Isa Rohany
- March 7, 2023 4:47 PM
SIEM REAP – Not all teachers come from wealthy families. People from poor backgrounds can be teachers if they put in the effort, says So Sothea, who has used education to change her life.
So Sothea, 23, teaches grades 7–9 at Banteay Srei High School. She underwent two years of teacher training before beginning her career in 2022.
She intended to study Khmer literature at the Royal University of Phnom Penh after receiving a scholarship after graduating from high school.
However, she decided to give up on her dream and enroll in a secondary teaching program due to financial struggles.
“I decided to enroll in the program to become a secondary high school teacher in a public school under funding from the government,” she said.
She relied on relatives and the neighborhood for transport when she was first starting out as a teacher and still relies on bicycles to get to and from school.
Sob Sothea is teaching her students. Photo provided by So Sothea
She and her family have decided to borrow $3000 from the bank to spend mostly on a motorbike and a second-hand computer for her school and work.
The knowledge helped drag Sothea away from adversity. She now has a career that society values and plays an important role in helping her family.
Sothea understands the burden her parents carried when she was young. They struggled to do all kinds of work to support their family and educate their children.
“It’s hard to say. When I was in school all I had to do was study hard, but now it’s hard,” Sothea said with tears in her eyes.
“I felt unexpected and excited on the journey. I was looked down on by friends when I was in school. Why study hard when you're going to end up as a construction worker?” she said.
Transportation was also challenging for her to go to school by bicycle until she finished school. “Sometimes I was upset but did not show it. I came home crying silently and worked harder,” she added.
Despite being mocked by her friends and neighbors, Sothea did not give up. She understood that only study can change this destiny.
Sothea’s mother, Sam Ny, sits in the shade of a tree near her house with its tin roof and walls covered with palm leaves.
“At work, my daughter called to tell me that she had passed the entrance exam to become a teacher,” she said.
“I'm so happy and proud, and my coworkers congratulated me and said, ‘'Mom, you worked very hard for the daughter to study and now she will become a teacher, you will have a better life now’.”
Sam Ny, with her husband and four other children, had left their hometown to work elsewhere but with no clear job or destination.
“I worked hard because I don’t want my children to follow in my footsteps by being construction workers and uneducated. I want my children to be educated,” she said.
“I always advise my kids to work hard to finish their degrees; whether or not they can land a good job is fine as long as they can bring a degree.”
After moving to Kravan village 13 years ago, Sam Ny worked as a construction worker in Phnom Penh and as a land guard. Sothea’s education encouraged the family to return to their hometown.
Sothea asked her parents to go to school after seeing children in Pochentong dressed up nicely for school, so Samny decided to return to her hometown for Sothea’s education.
Sothea's new life started to unfold as she pursued her passion for teaching. She is pursuing a bachelor's degree in history at a university in the province of Battambang.
She has to attend classes on the weekends and occasionally online. If there is an opportunity, Sothea says she intends to take the exam to become a higher education teacher.
Sob Sothea teaches grades 7–9 at Banteay Srei High School. Photo provided by So Sothea
Sothea expressed her pride in herself and her family as well as her rage toward those who had previously treated her poorly.
“Sometimes look at those who used to despise me. They do not dare to talk to me. They used to mock me as a child of the poor but they now do not have a stable job.” Sothea said.
Sothea also wanted to tell her students who were surprised to see her house on social media.
“My young students say they don't believe it’s the teacher's home because they only see the teachers leave the classroom on their motorcycles and nice cars,” she said.
“I would like to point out that not all teachers come from wealthy backgrounds. Rather, it is important to focus on our knowledge and skills rather than our personal circumstances.” she added.
However, after teaching for one year, Sothea was able to help ease the burden of the family and support young people to continue their studies.
Her dream is to build a house for her family to live comfortably and she wants to have a small business at home.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Te Chhaysinh for Cambodianess.
