‘Changing thousands of lives’

Five students supported by an NGO in Cambodia founded by a Jewish family in Australia have reported on how the Cambodia Rural Students Trust (CRST) has revolutionised their lives.

Meeting CRST supporters at Melbourne’s West Brighton Club on Sunday – including Caulfield MP David Southwick and Hayley Southwick, personal sponsors – the five visiting students traced their journeys from rural poverty to opportunities for higher education, becoming role models for Cambodian youth. They were scheduled to speak in Sydney later in their visit.

CRST began after a visit to Cambodia by businessman Aviv Palti, his wife Michelle and daughters Stephanie and Jessica in 2009 when Stephanie volunteered to teach at a rural school near Siem Reap. The plight of Cambodian youth forced to drop out of school to support their families stirred the Palti family to action.

Early ventures included a local yoghurt shop that helped students learn commerce. Today CRST runs several social enterprise projects and sponsors the secondary and tertiary education of 104 students. And last year saw the founding of the Rotaract Club of Siem Reap, with 54 CRST students as charter members.

Sokal Nav, charter president of Siem Reap Rotaract, recalled how he and his siblings, whose parents survived the Khmer Rouge genocide, sold recycled engines and lived off discarded food.

But after Sokal was accepted into CRST, he finished high school and is studying for a Bachelor degree in business administration. He thanked supporters for “the opportunity to be the best version of myself”.

Lita Seng lost her mother at 12. “Life was tough but I never thought to give up on my education,” she said. In 2019, she applied to CRST, has graduated from high school and is completing a business administration degree. “Many girls in the countryside in Cambodia are not encouraged to find their own voice,” she said, but as a mentor to another female student, she is doing her bit for social change.

“Being poor doesn’t mean you’re unintelligent, but it means you’re locked out of opportunities,” reflected Doeb Chhay, who left school to help his family.

Joining CRST enabled him to complete a Bachelor degree in international relations. As its mentor-in-residence, he inspires and supports more than 100 students.

Phanich Ron thanked her hosts for enabling the students to visit Australia, and Tola Nam noted, “You’re really making changes in thousands of lives.”

For further information, contact Jessica Palti at Jessica.Palti@lifestyleb.com and visit cambodiaruralstudentstrust.org