Sokea was born in Phnom Penh. He grew up in a slum situated on government land which is divided into small lots and controlled by landlords. They charge squatters to stay on the land. The families build little shacks, often made from scraps pieced together haphazardly.
As a young child, Sokea walked the streets with a huge plastic sack of recycled bottles on his back. His recycling work to support his family left no time for school. At home, his dad was on a small daily wage as a motorbike taxi-driver and his mother was bed-ridden. With no education, his brother was un-employable and his sister worked for a very small sum as a cleaner. When we first met him at 9 years old, he told us he would love to attend school. He had previously been in school but had to drop out to support his family. We visited his parents and asked permission for Sokea to attend public school and our After School Centre. We said we would supplement the family for the loss of Sokea’s income and they agreed. When finances were tight however, his family continued to send him out to collect plastic, but this is often part of the transition from working to education. The family and Sokea understood the importance of regular school attendance but making school a daily priority was hard.
Sokea is in the middle, wearing the hat
Sokea has positive influences in his life too. A couple of women, Ermine and Dani, have come alongside him and have continually encouraged him to keep in education. When he was in Grade 5, Sokea's father passed away. At the time, there were no other people able to work in his family. His mother was still very unwell. We kept supporting him, telling him to look to the future and not just think about today. It’s hard for a kid to deny himself and his family a handful of money today in the hopes of earning a solid income in the future… but this is exactly the dream we are pursuing.
Sokea in the middle, already taller than our staff when he was in grade 7.
Sokea works part time for Flame as a computer studies teacher and assistant football coach
From a young age, Sokea dreamed of becoming a lawyer. In the slum, he has seen too many people end up in jail because they can’t afford legal help. He feels the injustice and hates it. He wants to know the law and stand up for the poor who otherwise would have no legal representation. Two years ago he made it to Grade 12. He failed his first set of final exams and we asked if he wanted to change his subject choice for something easier. He was adamant that he still wanted to be a lawyer and at 22 years of age, enrolled for another year of Grade 12. Then COVID-19 hit. Schools were closed and learning (when possible) went online. The Ministry of Education recognized that the gradating class from 2020 faced unusual obstacles and decreed that all Grade 12 students would be given university admission. We are very pleased to announce that, in the last few weeks, Sokea has registered to do a degree at the National University of Management and has applied to study law!
Last week his mother passed away. Life is never easy for young people growing up in urban poor communities. We are so proud of Sokea as we see him grow and mature. Throughout the time Sokea has been studying, his mother has been constantly unwell and he has always looked after her. One day, he took her to hospital, and our staff went to support him. What they saw moved them deeply. He fed his mother some food he had brought with a spoon, an expression of his kind and gentle nature. Sokea has been helping with Flame football for years now and has always been available to assist the coach. When he sees the kids who are struggling, he steps in and helps. One young football player thought he wasn’t able to continue at school. Sokea persisted with the mentoring relationship through this tough time; he did not give up on him. The child felt heard and seen, and followed Sokea’s advice. Encouraged by his good example, he stayed in school. Sokea has been a positive influence on other kids too. He told us about a 13 year old boy who was still in Grade 2. He didn’t often attend school and was constantly failing. With support from Sokea, this boy stayed in school, despite being so much bigger than the other kids. Somehow he found the emotional reserve to keep going. Sokea used to take him to school on the back of his bicycle and when this boy needed school supplies, Sokea said he was quite sure that Flame could help, but if Flame couldn’t help, he would pay for the child’s materials himself.
This is the result of years of intentional love and care and support. This is what we mean by “The Full Circle”.
Thank you for making this story possible. Without your help Sokea would not have been able to attend school and become an influencer in his community.
Thank you for the commitment you have shown to Sokea and so many others like him.