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