2015 Edition

My name is So Seamean. I’m 29 years old from Kampong Cham Province. I’m one of the first year (first batch of) students who was chosen to study at PKH Centre during 2005. This is my testimony of how I feel and how God has changed my life.

Before I came to PKH Centre, I was a hopeless person with low education. Life took advantage of me in the wrong direc-tion and I also never truly believed in God because I grew up in a Buddhist family.

But while studying at PKH Centre, with no TV or world music to listen to, I only fo-cus on studying and learning things about God.

I decided to follow God and as a result, my life completely changed. The Holy Spirit has cleansed me and God has blessed me so much with His love. God has brought me quite an interesting thing in my life.

In 2006 after graduating from PKH, I moved to Siem Reap to train in a 5 star ho-tel (Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor). A year later, I became a full time staff. In 2008, I made a hard decision to get married early, since I was really young that time. God has blessed us with 2 girls and with our good jobs, we could save enough to buy our own house.

My life could never be better without God, so I have come a long way. And I am amazed everyday by the change in me. I could not have made this change myself. I just know that God rejoices when He is able to turn someone to His light.

Today I‘m writing this to thank God for making me who I am and all His blessings for me and my family. For the strength He gives me each day and for all the people around me who make life more meaning-ful. Amen.

So Seamean
General Storekeeper
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor
September 2015

Hello, I’m Hok Sophea, I was a PKH student in 2005. I’d like to share what God has done for me.

Before coming to PKH, I worked on a farm, feeding fish, ducks and chickens. God really blessed and helped me so that I could pass the test to study at PKH. At that time, I just knew a little English.

I learnt a lot at PKH, not only English, but also to be a good person: how to work in a group, to share, help and love each other, to be humble and patient. I had a great time and got to know God too.

I completed the Hospitality Course in 2006. However, as my father passed away from a stomach surgery, leaving me the sole breadwinner to care for my aged mother and my siblings, I was not able to carry on with further training and a job in the hotels. PKH gave me a job to work with Dr Bun Rong in the healthcare work in Aoral. I gained knowledge and experience from working with PKH.

After some time, I got married to Srey Neang, also a former PKH student. Much later on, we started a small motor repair shop at Kampong Speu market. Today we have a bigger motor repair shop.

Now my life has changed from a worker to being a boss in my own business. I also have a pretty wife, Srey Neang and we have two lovely children, a son and daughter. We are not rich but neither are we poor anymore. I’m happy with what I am now.

Thanks to PKH and our God, without whom I really don’t know what my life would be. Lastly I want to give thanks to God, that He sent such very good teachers and staff, especially for all donors from Singapore and overseas who spend their time and own property to help me and our Cambodian people.

Hok Sophea
Owner of Motor Repair Shop
Kampong Speu
September 2015

My name is Rotha, I am 26 years old.I come from Phrea Vihear Province.I was born into a big family. We have 8 siblings, 6 sisters and 1 brother . I am the 7th member in my family.

My mother is a housewife , My father retired many years ago and all my brothers and sisters are farmers. I have completed grade 9 and then I decided to stop my studying because my study is not so good . My family is poor and so I helped my family to work at our farm for a few years but our farm supporting not enough for my family so I decided go to work in Thailand as a construction worker. I worked there for half a year and the work was very hard. I got benefits so low so I decided to come back to work as a farmer with my family again . During that time I heard about PKH school from my cousin, Savet who was studying bible school in Phnom Penh. He old me this school provides a chance for poor people in Cambodia to study free, stay there with meals, and it is the best school to study in English, hospitality and skills to work in hotels. All the students study there for 1 year or 2 years and then go out to work. I decided to study there in 2009. When I stepped in to PKH and lived there ,I learned about Jesus Christ. Before, I also have heard about his name but just know he is a good God ,he can save us from this world to heaven but I did not understand anything about Jesus.

When I was studying and living at PKH I could see Jesus through the Christians like the teachers at PKH, staff ,pastors students, and friends .They have hope from God , are loving, caring for each other so much as one family . And they are full of encouragement to each other.

On Saturday and Sunday I worship Him and study God’s word at PKH so I start to know him more and more about God. I started to obey Him and follow Him and then my life started to change. My life was not like before . I feel I have a new life again at PKH with Jesus and now I am a Christian , I trust in him and I receive him as my savior from now on for ever.

After PKH, I went to Siem Reap and did my training attachment in Housekeeping at Le Meridien Angkor. I became a permanent staff member and then transferred to F&B as a Service waiter. Now I am a Bell driver in Front Office. I am also married to another PKH graduate Savun and we had a Christian wedding. We are expecting our second child. My wife Savun is also working in the hotel in Le Meridien in Siem Reap.

I would like to say thanks to God for everything that he has done for my life and my country .Thank you for your blessing on PKH,all supporters ,teachers,staff,and all PKH students for always providing what we need, Thanks so much to all supporters of PKH, teachers, staff and all students for your working hard and loving ,caring ,always encouraging us. Especially I want to say thanks to teacher Susan who loves us like her children and always look after us, caring about us all the time whether we are in or out of PKH.

In Rotha
Front Office Bell Driver
Le Meridien Angkor
September 2015

My name is Long Samniengpol. I am 24 years old, yet still look very young. I am from Kampong Speu Province of Cambodia. I am from a simple family. I have an older and younger brother and one younger sister. My dad is a soldier and my mum was a garment factory worker. My mum passed away in 2013.

In 2009 I accomplished my grade 12. After high school, I was so confused. I wanted to move on to university but my family was not able to support since my younger siblings also needed support for their schooling. So for almost 3 months, I was wandering and thinking about what’s next. Then it was the time when Project Khmer H.O.P.E.(PKH) came to me. The father of an ex-student named Chandamony, told my dad about her after PKH. So I decided to go to PKH and passed the admission interview.

I learnt a lot of things at PKH; it provided me with knowledge and skills. One of the greatest things and what I will always remember, is the opportunity to know, to understand and to feel God. I was not a believer but here is how I became one. During the 2 years training at PKH, from day to day, I saw the love of God through teachers and staff. And every weekend I had a chance to worship and hear more about God and His word. Until the last year before leaving PKH, I decided to be baptized. The love of God is so powerful.

Finally, thank you for your time to listen to my sharing. I hope it can be of help or encourage others. I am really, really thankful to God for everything I am today and whatever I will be in the future. May the Lord our God be glorified. God bless you.

Long Samniengpol (Paul).
Receiving Officer in the Finance Department
Le Meridien Hotel
September 2015

My name is Chann Thoeurn, I am from Svay Rieng Province. Nowadays I live in Siem Reap with my wife and I am working in Siem Reap at Angkor Paradise Hotel in the front office department.

Allow me to brief you about myself. After I finished my studies at grade 12 in 2006, I went to Phnom Penh to look for a job but I could only work at the construction site. Everyday I spent eight hours working under the sun and I could get only eight thousands riel per day and I have pay five thousand per day for my food. I tried to look for an office job in the company but they did not accept me even though I could speak a bit of English due to my not having any experience. I spent many months working in Phnom Penh and I could save nothing. I decided to go back home and help my family to work at the rice fields.

One day there was a Pastor who works in the church where I used to study in English with him everyday during my high school time and he told me that PKH could help me to change my life. He then brought me to PKH for an interview. God opened the way for me even though I was unsuccessful the first time.

I spent one and half years in PKH studying English and Hospitality and I gained a lot of knowledge especially getting to know more about God. Every Saturday and Sunday we had Livingstreams Club and Sunday School.

When all the students finished their second year course Teacher Susan brought me and some of my friends for interviews at Le Meridien Angkor Hotel. We all passed our interview in different departments and I started to train in the Front Office as a Doorman, Bell Boy, Receptionist and Reservations but after training I did not pass. Teacher Susan called me to go for interview at Sunway Hotel in Phnom Penh as Receptionist and I decided to go even though I did not know where the hotel is.

I went for the interview alone with Human Resource (Mrs. Sopha) and the Front Office Manager Mr. Many Young. They gave me a job as a Receptionist and as a permanent staff too. I worked for Sunway from 2008 and saved some money for my family and I also saved to study at the University at night. At the end of September 2012 I joined Naga World Hotel as Front Office Supervisor then I moved to work at Angkor Paradise Hotel as Assistant Front Office Manager from January 2013. After seven months they promoted to be Front Office Manager and now they just promoted me to be Room Division Manager at Angkor Paradise hotel.

I know that without God and PKH, I have nothing. He is always guiding, protecting and blessing me all the time. I really thank God for changing my life and my family.

Once again I want to say a very big thank you to all teachers, the staff at PKH and especially all the supporters who always donate your own money to PKH to help the young poor Cambodian’s people from difference provinces including me. Your giving through PKH has changed our life to be better and better. May God bless you and protect your family with the full of love and joy and may God be with you always.

Chann Thouern
Rooms Division Manager
Angkor Paradise Hotel
September 2015

My name is Chi Samnang, I am 27 yrs old and I am married and I have a baby girl named Hannah who is 1year & 5 months old now. I was born in a poor family with 08 members. They are my parents, 2 older sisters, myself and 3 younger brothers. My father passed away on 24th Nov 2012 as he had high blood pressure. While my father was still alive, he was farmer during the rainy season, and during the dry season he climbed palm trees to collect the sap, made palm for sale.

When I was in Primary & Secondary school, I stayed with my parents, helping them to do farming. I was like a right hand of my father/ left hand of my mother. (helping my mum & father’s job) My parents sent one older sister to stay with uncle near Kampong Speu market and my uncle supported her to continue her studies at High School. My oldest sister & younger brother stayed with an aunt (she has no children), and she supported them in their studies.

When I studied at High School, I failed my grade 12 in year 2007, and it made my father very upset with me as he really put his hope on me to get grade 12 certificate because my two older sisters had already failed grade 12 exam. Grade 12/ diploma II was hard for us to get because at public schools in Cambodia, if we have not enough money to pay for part time studies, we would have less knowledge. Then my father heard from my uncle about PKH School. The school supported Cambodian Youth to study free and also help them to find a job after students graduated. My father proposed me to study at PKH. However at that time, I really wanted to re-study at grade 12 again, so I pleaded with my father to allow me to go back to my high school, He said “No”. I explained that if I go for a test at PKH and failed, it would waste one year and I asked my mother & uncle to help to speak to my father. This time my father agreed with me to go back to high school. After half a month, I got a serious motorbike accident and I was unable to go to school. Therefore, I waited for a chance to get a form from PKH and do the admission test. Many thanks to God that I could pass the test and get a chance to study PKH in 2008. He has chosen me to go there (at that time I was not a Christian yet).

PKH Centre is not just a school where I can study English and hospitality because it is also the place that I can study about God and about Jesus Christ. I have also made many friends who love and are taking care of each other like a family.

Especially, all the wonderful teachers who love and take care of all the students like their own children. That is the time I got to know Jesus Christ step by step. As I remember, while studying at Hospitality class, I did not feel ready to accept Jesus Christ and be baptized yet as I was learning about Christ.

When I finished my study at PKH, I got a chance to have a 3 month training attachment at Inter-Continental Hotel in Phnom Penh from 01 Sept 2009. (Two students of my year were the first PKH students that got a chance to train at that Hotel). It was hard to find a room to rent My name is Long Samniengpol. I am 24 years old, yet still look very young. I am from Kampong Speu Province of Cambodia. I am from a simple family. I have an older and younger brother and one younger sister. My dad is a soldier and my mum was a garment factory worker. My mum passed away in 2013. near the hotel. Finally 1 month passed and we found a room to rent near the hotel. God always be with us as the PKH teachers always help us, even by supporting us with spare food (like bread & jam) as well as give us allowance when we were still training.

In Nov 2009, PKH organized the students to have baptism again at CCOP Church, and I was ready to be baptized in Nov 2009.

There are many things I would like to say thanks to Father God that he has chosen me, thanks for His blessing, Grace, Love and forgiveness, and even though I have made mistakes or wrong things against Him, but His Love & forgiveness never ends

Samnang Chi
Reservation Supervisor
Le Meridien Angkor
September 2015