Success Stories - Sopheap’s story

A Journal for a Changed Life 

( This account is written in Sopheap’s own words).

Family, is the first word I can think of before writing this journal. Each member of the family has a different flavor that makes moments beautiful to share. Family is the place where we expect to live with happiness, joy, care, love, and with good memories. Yet, things sometimes do not go that way – sorrow, loneliness, financial problems have become the shadow to cover all of that happiness in the family.

Hi! My name is Thon Sopheap. I am 25 years old.

I am a year 4th student, majoring in Teaching English
as a Foreign Language at Cambodian Mekong University.

I was born with 5 kids in the family – I am the fourth child.

As you read this journal, you may have occasion to see through the concerns, the struggles, the healing and the survival, I will write in this journal.

Growing up as the fourth child  in my family, I have started living with joy, love, and care from my siblings, and my beloved parents. My parents had provided us with food, shelter, and good education - everyone of us had a chance going to school. I still remember one evening while we were having dinner, my father told us a funny joke and we all laughed. I had enjoyed all the moments we spent and all the good lessons my father taught me, “live a good life, and grow up well”, he always said. The older I got, the more I noticed that my father was a good man. I have loved my father so much as he always worked hard and supported the family. He had never done wrong to my mom and the family. He was my hero. By the time I was 10 years old, things seemed to go wrong. I did not expect this day to happen. Everything was changed – from smiling to crying. It changed so quickly.

While I was at school in the afternoon, I got informed by my teacher that my father already passed away. Tears started to fall down unexpectedly, I kept running back home with the tears on my face. I could not believe it happened to my father. I was standing next to his body and shouting for him to come back. My father passed away because of a stroke while he was swimming in the river – my house was next to the river. I was not ready to lose my father, I was very sad.

Grieving is often a lonely and frightening experience. The death of my father had put the whole family into big trouble. All my brothers got married and lived separately from my mom and my youngest sister. It was very hard for a widow as my mom had to work and earn money to support me and my youngest sister. My mom was trying to grow some vegetables on the land to sell for money.

As I was still young and really wanted to help her, soon I left school and helped my mom to sell the vegetables at the local market. We earned less money and needed to spend more because we had to pay back the debt we owed after my father's funeral. The family condition became harder and harder; my mom had fallen into sickness as she worked so hard. My mom now was sick, my sister was still very young, and I also left school at a younger age. “What could I do to help make my family better?”, it was the question that I always asked myself.

Months later, there was a lady who visited my mom at home. I looked from the distance while she was talking with my mom. Everything seemed to be fine as I could see a smile on my mom’s face. After she had left, my mom told me that there was a Christian organization, known as Unacas orphanage centre, that was looking for staff to look after the kids. My mom went to Unacas and asked for the job; surprisingly, the answer was a Yes.

Life changed fast, life changed instant. My family and I were very happy because Unacas not only offered the job to my mom, but they also allowed me and my sister to live there. I was grateful for this offer.

I can still remember the day I entered Unacas, it was in December 2007. I still remembered about my father, and did not want to go to Unacas. I wanted to live at my house. But later on, I changed my mind and decided to live at Unacas. Life needed to move on, I started everything again. Education, friends, food, and shelter, Unacas had offered me everything. I started making friends with other kids, and I was able to share a bigger room with other female children at Unacas. I could not describe all the things I had done here in Unacas, but I could say I was grateful to be here with other people and I enjoyed my new place here. Soon, I was sent to the public school– I was in grade 4. I ranked 1st in grade 4. I was studying so hard and I was glad with this result.

Every day we had the same routine and it started with a 5 a.m. wake up call. One of the routines was that a man would have to wake us up. “It is time to water the vegetables”, the man said. During that time, each one of us had a garden to look after – I was growing cucumbers in my garden at that time. And that was an experience, I remember. We had to get up early to clean up our rooms, to do the weekly duty like mopping the floor, or cleaning up at the playground.

After that I put on my school uniform, ate breakfast and walked to school with my other brothers and sisters at the orphanage. Guess what? After school in the evening, Unacas also offered us with English Tutoring class with different levels. I was amazed again as it was my dream ever when I was at the village – I really wanted to study English. The day was long for me and other children at Uncas, but I enjoyed it. I had known Unacas was the private organization that operated by mom Sakada. I saw her and talked to her a lot. I really appreciated her hard work, she tried hard to get the money to support the kids and the staff in Unacas. Soon, the kids and the staff started to grow some vegetables which we believed could help us to cook meals. But a year later, mom Sakada passed away. I was very shocked and sad. Her soul already passed away, but all her hard work still remained here for us as the young kids.

As a young girl with a younger sister and a widow mom, I started to worry again and kept asking myself “Is it the end here?” but my hope, my future, my wish did not end here. Days later, there was a new manager of Unacas – we all had known him as Brother Bun Toksela. He was quite young and single. He called all the staff and children at the orphanage for the group meeting. I noticed every word he was speaking in the meeting. He was energetic and enthusiastic. He looked young, but full of knowledge; all the words he spoke were full of hope and wisdom.

The words inspired me and everyone in the meeting a lot, changing from a hopeless mind into the hopeful thoughts. We all kept studying hard and all the staff were working so hard even though there was less salary and less support from outside. By the time I was in secondary school, there was a big change in my life.

I was like a sheep in wolf’s clothing. I was surrounded by many Christian children at the orphanage while I was still a Buddhist. I realized that since the first day I arrived here, but I decided to stay and be involved in every activity they did, because I could take more advantages from just staying here at Unacas. I was wondering for whom the children prayed to everyday.

Until one day, I was very sick, and there was not enough medicine I could take. Immediately, I started to close my eyes and prayed to God (Jesus Christ). If he was a real God, he would heal me from the sickness. Surprisingly, I started to feel better, and feel hungry. That amazed me and I was so touched by the love and the presence of God, that I gave my heart to Jesus and prayed to him every day.

With our prayers for Unacas, as we needed more food, school supplies, and a new playground at Unacas, God has blessed Unacas a lot. I realized that there were many Singaporean teams kept coming to Unacas. Every time they came, they often brought us food, rice, school supplies, and some money to support Unacas. Yet, I also got a chance to practice my English speaking.

Moreover, there were many different foreign teams, especially, a team from Australia which I remembered the most. I could remember Pastor Chris, who was the best team leader. By the time I was in High School, the Australian team came to Unacas again, and every time the team came, there was always a change for Unacas.

They helped to paint the walls, rebuilt our old kitchen; they taught us lessons about hygiene. They also helped to repaint and fix the old buildings at our public schools – the primary school and the secondary school. I was amazed with their love and kindness because they had come from another country and helped us here in Cambodia. Thank you so much to the team that has always helped sponsor Unacas.

Unacas had been a warm place for me and the other children. We had enjoyed the moments we stayed and did at Unacas. All of those activities had become my good memories. My journal does not end here. The best experience before I left Uanacas was that being a grade 12 student. I had to work hard and spent so much time on my study. There were a few things, I worried about “Can I pass grade 12? Is there a sponsor for me if I pass?” It was so challenging for me while I was in grade 12, yet Unacas played a very important part in study too. Unacas helped to pay for my extra classes. This meant that if I wanted to pass grade 12, I needed to attend tutoring classes with all the important subjects. I could not attend if I did not pay for them.

Every day I did homework, I practiced doing many exercises from different subjects. Sometimes I was sick, and sometimes I was fine. My body was tiring, and I really wanted to rest well, but I kept telling myself to move on – I needed to pass. I also prayed to God every day for wisdom. The time had come; the exam day had arrived. I was doing my exam with the confidence and I believed that I did it well even though there were some challenging questions.

Weeks later, thanks to God for the wisdom, the care from my friends and family, and the big support from Unacas – I passed with my grade 12. It was such a blessing from God. I was very happy from outside, but inside my heart I was still worried about how I could study at the University. But God has been so good to me, he always surprises with his plans. The Australian team which I have known as ACC – Australian Collaboration Cambodia. From what I have known, ACC is made up of a group of people who want to help those in Cambodia who are poor and cannot afford their study at university. As I had been an orphan living in the orphanage centre with a widowed mother, I could not afford myself to study in the university. Soon, Unacas had introduced me to ACC and I asked them for the sponsorship. From here, I could understand and learn a lot from ACC. They have lived in a different country, but they have shown me lots of love and kindness here in Cambodia. They helped me not only with the school fees, but also the place to stay. Not only me, but ACC has sponsored many students from Unacas already.

My life has changed a lot from a young girl to a big lady now. I have been able to attend the university and stay at the dormitory house that has been paid for by ACC.

Of course, my life is so beautiful now and I have become a good student at the university. Each term, I have done my best and got good results. I take this time to thank you for ACC’s guidance and support throughout my time studying in Phnom Penh. The school fees, the success at school, the monthly fees, and the dormitory; all of these I have been greatly supported by ACC. I will always remain thankful and wish everyone in the team best of luck and for the growth of your mission.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you Unacas. I thank God for all his good plans for me. From living in Unacas, I have learnt a lot of things – to love, to care, and to forgive each other; all of these have allowed me to understand deeply what it meant to grow as a good person and a good Christian. 

Last but not least, I want to say I Love you so much to my lovely mother. I am so grateful to be your daughter. Even though you are a widowed lady, you have worked so hard and walked through many challenges. I have never been afraid of chasing my dream because I have known that you are always here for me.

I love you, mom.