Teacher Daro is 18 years old and is an assistant teacher at SCAO School II in Som Roung village in Cambodia. He lives at home with 9 other family members; his house is located close to the school. He has been attending classes at the school since they began.
What is the main occupation in your household?
My mother and father are both farmers growing rice and tending to cattle in the village. One of my sisters works in a garment factory nearby, along national road number five and my youngest sister is still in school. My brother-in-law works as a security guard at a bank. The bank is located about five kilometres from the village. I and my older brother are still students and help out around the house.
How did you find out about the lessons at the school and when did you start attending Save poor Children in Asia Organization?
The building of the school had been going on and people were talking about it becoming a school. Seeing it there when it was finished I wanted to attend classes. So I started coming to SCAO once the school was finished.
How long has your family been involved in agriculture?
My family and ancestors have been involved with farming for a long time and it is being continued now. My grandparents were farmers and so were their parents before them. I don’t want to do the same as my family members before me. I want to further my education and get out of family farming.
Is your family involved in any other forms of agriculture other than the production of rice?
My family has six cows at the moment. We try to make the cows bigger and then bring them to the market to sell. They cannot produce milk that we can use because of some virus that the cow has and it is expensive to cure. It takes one hour to get to our grazing area with the cows. I bring the cows there at 5.30 in the morning and bring the cows back at around 5.00 in the evening. It is more expensive to do but the cows generate a high income source for the household.
Why is education important?
Education is important because it allows us to get knowledge on so many different things. It helps us to improve ourselves and through this make greater steps in developing our country. Education is a very important part of reducing the levels of poverty, not just in Som Roung but throughout Cambodia.
Could you tell me a little about your plans for the future?
I want to be involved in the management of my village, Som Roung and then be part of the management of the province. My aim of being part of this would be to help develop my area and make people’s lives better. It would also be great to start my own business here in the village and to then expand into other provinces.
