Our Team
Billy Gorter
Director/Founder
Billy Gorter founded This Life Cambodia in 2007. His background is in conservation, and he has nine years experience working within NGO’s—tackling conservation issues in Australia and educational issues in Cambodia. Billy is passionately committed to addressing the rights of children and educational development in developing countries.
Sen Se
Assistant Director
Se joined This Life Cambodia in October 2008. Se brought a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge along with him from his previous role as Assistant Director in a community development organisation. As the Assistant Director for This Life Cambodia, he is responsible for research projects and overseeing all This Life Cambodia programs and projects.
Ouk Monysopheap
Accountant
Ouk Monysopheap graduated from Angkor City Institute in the subject of accounting. Before joining This Life Cambodia she worked for three local NGOs, including the Banteay Srei Organisation, The Lake Clinic Cambodia and The Coalition for Financial Independence which focuses on agriculture and sewing mosquito nets. In all three roles, Sopheap worked for the department of Admin/Finance. Sopheap started her role as accountant with TLC in November 2011.
Seang Sann
Driver
Sann was orphaned when he was 11 years old. He went to stay in Roka pagoda, where he studied Khmer literature and Dharma for three years before being ordained as a monk in 1995. He learned Pali, Buddhist spiritual text at Rolous pagoda and then at Preah In Korsey pagoda. Since leaving the monkhood Sann has sought work to enable him to live his own life. Sann’s goal is to work hard for money so that his daughter may access higher education and attain her own clear goal.
Lower Secondary School Development Program
Chea Borany
Program Coordinator
Borany comes to This Life Cambodia with rich and diverse skills and knowledge through her professional experience and dedication to education. Borany has a Degree in Economic and Social Science from the Cambodian Mekong University. As the Lower Secondary School Development Program Coordinator, Borany coordinates the School Development Program, which is currently supporting Krabei Riel and Chub Ta Trav Communes.
Seng Sorachana
Program Officer
Sorachana graduated from the Royal University of Agriculture in agricultural economic and rural development. Sorachana finished her degree 3years ago and began working with a local non-government organisation, Cambodia Rural Development Team, in Kratie and Stung Treng province. She worked as Project Officer, working on the Livelihood Program to support natural resource conservation along the Mekong River from the Lao border to Kratie province. Sorachana started with TLC in August 2011, as a Program Officer with the Lower Secondary School Development Program.
This Life Beyond Bars
Hol Ritheavy
Program Coordinator
For the last four and a half years, Ritheavy has been the manager of a program supporting children in Battambang prison. His extensive experience working with children in prison make him an empathetic and highly knowledgeable addition to the team. Ritheavy says he sees his future working towards the rights of children in Cambodia, and that his greatest achievement outside of his work is that he is a good citizen to the Kingdom of Cambodia. As This Life Beyond Bars Program Coordinator, Ritheavy oversees all aspects of the program.
Veng Savat
Local Governance Site Leader – Siem Reap
Savat graduated from Build Bright University in the field of accounting and finance and has a Bachelor of Project Development Management and a Master of General Management from the Royal University of Law and Economics. Before working for This Life Cambodia, she worked for almost 8 years for local and international NGOs in Phnom Penh in various roles including Counsellor and Social Worker, Deputy Manager and Senior Child Right Offer in Kampong Cham. Savat is currently working as a Local Governance Site Leader as part of the This Life Beyond Bars program. She wants to see all children grow both physically and mentally in order to fully engage in life. She believes that the world changing starts from educated children.
Hing Sitha
Community Development Officer – Siem Reap
Hing Sitha graduated from Pedagogy School with an associate degree of pedagogy and from Build Bright University with a Bachelor degree of Project Management. Before working for This Life Cambodia she worked in Banteay Srey, for Services for Health in Asian and African Region, PLAN International, and within a public school as a community development officer, project assistant, monitoring and evaluation officer and a teacher as well. Sitha is currently a Community Development Officer for This Life Beyond Bars.
Pho Phong
Family Support Officer – Siem Reap
Pho Phong is originally from Battambang but since 2002 has been in Poipet, on the border with Thailand. There he worked as a Child Protection Officer and Social Worker with trafficked women and children, while also promoting awareness in communities about this issue. Phong moved to Siem Reap to begin his new role as Family Support Officer for This Life Beyond Bars – his skills and experience make him a great asset to the team. He is looking forward to a bright future and hopes to one day travel abroad.
Sok Chanry
Vocational Training Officer – Siem Reap
Chanry graduated with a Bachelor degree of Science Agriculture, majoring in agronomy, from Chea Sim University of Kamchay Mear (CSUK). In 2011, she worked as Education Officer at Sao Sary Foundation (SSF). Chanry joined the This Life Beyond Bars team in February, 2012. She is very enthusiastic to work with This Life Cambodia in her role as Vocational Training Officer and she sees this role as a good chance to help and encourage a lot of minor prisoners to be hopeful, develop themselves and their life through vocational training and personal development classes.
Heng Koeurn
Moto Repair Trainer – Siem Reap
Koeurn was trained in motor mechanics at Day Dek Technical School in Phnom Penh in 2002. Koeurn joined This Life Cambodia in November 2010 to teach and support students in motorbike repairs in Siem Reap prison. This is an exciting opportunity for Koeurn as he will be able to pass on his knowledge and skills, providing opportunities for children who are often left with little hope.
Kuth Chanthol
Electronics Trainer – Siem Reap
Kuth Chanthol has been an electronic repairer since 1998. Chanthol joined This Life Cambodia in November 2010 to work with and train children in Siem Reap Prison. He has written an electronic book by himself based on his 10 years experience for the next generation who wish to learn the electronics trade. He hopes that one day Cambodia will be a leading country in electronics, the same as other leading countries in the world.
Chhoun Makkara
Local Governance Site Leader – Banteay Meanchey
Makkara has a Bachelor of Law from the Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE) in Phnom Penh and is now studying his Master’s degree of law at RULE. He has more than 10 years experience working with sub-national administration and has extensive experience in the field of good governance and human rights on both the national and a local level. He has worked for numerous organisations including working as Provincial Coordinator for Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) for five years. When he was working for ADHOC, he was also serving as coordinator of election monitoring organisation Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia called COMFREL. Makkara comes to This Life of Cambodia in the position of Local Governance Site Leader. It is his greatest wish to help to improve local governance in his country and he believes that his organisation can make a strong contribution to that goal. Especially, he wishes have the peaceable; developed country and rule of the legal system in Cambodia.
Chan Sokha
Community Development Officer – Banteay Meanchey
Prior to working with This Life Cambodia, Sokha worked as community development officer with the Integrated Sustainable Livelihoods Program of American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in Koh Kong province, focusing activities such as natural Resource management and livelihood options. In 2011 Sokha worked as District Program Management Advisor with Sub-National Democratic Development (NCDD) in Koh Kong Province. He started work with This Life Cambodia as a Community Development Officer in February 2012. Sokha is very enthusiastic to work with This Life Cambodia as part of this program. Through his experiences, Sokha believe that he will be able to share ideas and raise awareness within communities. Sokha plans to further his studies in Siem Reap province in 2012.
Vath Prathna
Family Support Officer –Banteay Meanchey
Prathna graduated with a Bachelor degree in the field of general management at Build Bright University. Before working for This Life Cambodia Prathna worked for almost 5 years at Cambodia Organisation for Assistance to Family and Widow (CAAFW), focusing on the health and livelihood project of the World Bank’s Fund through Padek. He is currently working as a Family Support Officer as part of the This Life Beyond Bars Program. Prathna wants to see all vulnerable people, especially children in Cambodia, safe and secure in their daily lives.
Ven Sam
Vocational Training Officer – Banteay Meanchey
Sam is currently studying at the University of Management and Economics in Banteay Meanchey. Before working with This Life Cambodia, Sam worked with drug users for one year as a Field Outreach Officer on the Community Based Treatment Project with the Social Environment Agricultural Development Organisation. Sam started working with This Life Cambodia in February 2012, as a Vocational Training Officer with This Life Beyond Bars. He is interested in this program, because he would like children to be provided with educational or occupational training and rehabilitation; and be entitled to alternative care and family reunification upon release from prison.
Community Research & Consultancy Program
Will Brehm
Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator
Will brings knowledge of international educational relations to This Life Cambodia. Before joining This Life Cambodia, he worked on Child Friendly Schools in Siem Reap, Cambodia, taught English in Taipei, Taiwan, served as a NGO Representative at United Nations headquarters in New York City, and began CultureofConversation.com. As Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for This Life Cambodia, Will is the primary researcher on the Private Tutoring Research project and monitors and evaluates the Lower Secondary School Development Program and This Life Beyond Bars program.
Tuot Mono
Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
Mono worked as a teacher at Samdech Euv High School from 2002 to 2009. During this period, he taught English and IT and facilitated training courses provided by international volunteers such as environmental protection and composting toilets. Mono hopes that through his research role, he will be able to broaden his knowledge allowing him to achieve his goal of writing a book when he is an old man.
Student Assistance
Kuy Lao
Project Officer
Kuy Lao’s role is to manage assist in office and field management within the Student Assistant program. Lao’s background is in the NGO sector, his last role being an Administration Officer. He has extensive experience in managing administration and accounting. Lao is currently continuing his university studies, majoring in Information Technology.
Nay Sreyneang
Intern
Sreyneang started her schooling at Prey Totung Primary School when she was eight years old. She walked three kilometres to school each day. Sreyneang continued her education at lower secondary school and with the support of her hard working family she completed upper secondary school as well. Sreyneang’s dream was to go to university, so she is very happy to have been accepted for one of This Life Cambodia’s Internships, which includes a university scholarship.
Oeur Saloeurn
Intern
Saloeurn lived with her family while she was studying at Run Kandal Primary School. As Saloeurn progressed through lower secondary school, she eventually had to work to help support her family while she was studying. Saloeurn finished high school four years ago, but could not further her study as she had dreamed. Saloeurn has volunteered her time as a mentor to scholarship students in Dom Dek Village since 2007. She is now very happy to be an intern with This Life Cambodia and to be continuing her education.
