Dear Donors and Friends,
I am delighted to be writing to you with great news from Opportunity Cambodia’s tertiary education project in Siem Reap.
We recently had a big gathering of our university graduates and current university students. Some 70 of our wonderful young achievers were able to attend out of a total of 85 current and past students. It was exciting to see so many professions represented – nursing, medicine, teaching, midwifery, engineering, law, social work, banking and finance, agriculture.
These are professions which are in short supply in Cambodia and greatly needed to ensure the continuing economic and social development of the country.
We are very proud of the success of this project which has been carefully developed to ensure that students from the poorest rural backgrounds are supported during their university careers, and given every opportunity to apply their abilities and talents, and realise their ambitions. And very importantly, to provide the inspiration and role models for the next generation.
Please read the inspiring student stories at the end of this newsletter. They provide the best illustration of our tertiary program, and the enormous benefits and opportunities it provides to the wonderful committed young people who receive our scholarships.
Of course, the success of our project would not be possible without the generous support of our marvellous donors.
We are in the process of setting up a capital fund to continue providing tertiary education scholarships, hopefully far into the future.
To our donors, we hope you will continue to support the work of Opportunity Cambodia. We are incredibly appreciative of your contribution.
If you are not already a donor it would be wonderful if you could consider making a donation at this time. Donations are tax deductible and you will receive a tax receipt.
My very sincere thanks and good wishes.
Carolyn Fletcher AM
Founder and Director
Our Students and Graduates
Maya was born in a rural village and grew up in a very poor farming family. She worked hard at school, determined to complete her school education and finally passed the National Exam. However her parents could not afford to send her to the city to go to university.
Maya received one of our tertiary scholarships and undertook a degree in Banking and Finance. She is a very committed and hardworking student. As well as attending university lectures she took several short courses which we encourage our students to do – English, computers, soft skills training. And she volunteered to assist our Director in running our Centre, particularly the daily financial operations. These programs greatly improved her abilities, especially her communication skills and her self confidence.
During her university years Maya consistently received Outstanding Student awards.
We encourage our students to work part time during their third and fourth years, and we assist them in finding employment in areas related to their studies. Maya was offered a position at a large charity. She acknowledges that the experience she gained through the program has been very important in her professional journey.
In 2025, Maya graduated in Banking and Finance. She is now working as an accountant.
“I am deeply grateful to Opportunity Cambodia for teaching me so much, and for providing a system of learning that went beyond university education through additional skills training and practical experience.
Currently, I am working as an accountant, which is a career I truly enjoy. I also return to my school to give motivational talks and share my experiences of hard work, commitment, and perseverance with the next generation. In addition, I continue to attend tax training courses to improve my professional knowledge.
My goal is to continue building my career in the field of finance and eventually achieve my dream of becoming a finance manager. I want to help support my family and to make a real contribution to my community.
Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, for investing in my dream. I will always honor and remember this unforgettable gift.
With deepest gratitude,
Maya”
Lihor comes from a rural community in Siem Reap Province, located around 70 kilometres from the city centre. He grew up in a very poor farming family.
After finishing high school, Lihor’s dream was to go to university to study agriculture. As his family could not afford the tuition fees and living expenses he decided to work as a labourer on a sugar farm far away from his hometown, in order to support himself and his family.
However, a year later Lihor received information about our scholarship program and was selected to study Agriculture at university in Siem Reap.
From Year 1 to Year 4, Lihor studied very hard and consistently achieved outstanding academic results. Besides his classroom studies, he spent much of his time practicing vegetable cultivation on land provided by the school. He also joined extra training courses at vocational training centres to improve his technical skills in vegetable growing and modern agricultural techniques.
In June 2025, Lihor graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Production and Marketing. As a result of his strong practical experience and commitment, several agricultural companies offered him employment opportunities after graduation.
Currently, Lihor is working for a local farming company that focuses on rice and vegetable production. He is responsible for technical agricultural work and applies the knowledge and skills he gained during his studies to support local farming development.
Lihor’s story is a great example of how education and opportunity can transform the life of a young person from a disadvantaged rural background. He is a much needed role model for aspiring students, and will be a very valuable contributor to the development of his country.
Seang comes from an extremely impoverished rural community. His parents do not own any farming land and struggle to raise their three children. Both parents have significant health issues.
Seang’s dream was to become an engineer and to contribute to the development of his country. He is an impressive young man, and when he applied we awarded him a tertiary education scholarship to study Civil Engineering.
Seang has been a great contributor to the life of our project community – helpful, supportive of other students and a teamplayer.
During his degree, Seang gained valuable experience through an internship with SNT Company in Siem Reap, where he worked in several roles, including structural engineer trainee, draftsman, and site engineer. These experiences allowed him to develop practical skills that complemented his academic studies. After completing the internship, he continued working with the company as a freelance staff member.
Seang also had the opportunity to train with SFS Cambodia, where he worked alongside American students and members of the local community. This experience greatly improved his English communication skills and became an important milestone in his personal development.
Seang worked hard at university, with focus and commitment, and in April this year he graduated from his 5 year Civil Engineering degree having ranked in the top 5 in his class.
Gaining a tertiary scholarship provided Seang with the inspiration to overcome the limits of his home life and school education. He was motivated to work hard, challenge himself, and achieve an extraordinary result in his final university exam.
Seang is a young ambitous Cambodian who dreams of making an important contribution to his country. He is proof that a relatively small investment in tertiary education can have a very significant impact.
Supporting Opportunity Cambodia
What can you do?
We would be delighted if you wished to support our work. Donations go directly to fund our full tertiary scholarships. Private funds cover the costs of administration and marketing.
- All donations are tax deductible in Australia
- You will receive a tax receipt
You can make a general one-off donation, or sponsor a student on a regular basis.
Thank you for your generous support!