Internship

Education enables youth to develop the essential skills needed to make positive changes in their lives and break free from poverty. Very few Cambodian youth have the opportunity to get a university education, which would greatly expand their prospects for the future.

This Life Cambodia is recognised as an organisation that can train the leaders of tomorrow. We are staffed by a group of people with a strong and diverse knowledge base. Through accepting and training interns, the skills and knowledge of the current TLC team can be shared. Further, This Life Cambodia gains a larger scope for development projects as more staff are on hand and available to undertake easy jobs whilst learning.

A This Life Cambodia Internship is a two-year opportunity for two recent high school graduates, from underprivileged backgrounds, to receive higher education through on the job training and university education. Interns receive training in language skills, computer skills and community development while participating in This Life Cambodia work.

The successful candidates are paid a basic stipend, have their petrol, phone and insurance costs covered, as well as receive a scholarship to university.

As part of the responsibilities of accepting a This Life Cambodia internship, an intern must commit to the following:

1. To attend all relevant training days
2. Be willing and open to learning
3. Attend university
4. Act as scholar mentor – Scholar mentors are the representatives of This Life Cambodia’s scholarship students, in their village. They are an intermediary between the scholars and This Life Cambodia’s Scholarship Program Officer. They will make home visits on behalf of the Scholarship Program Officer and be a counsellor to the scholars and their parents.

Aims

The This Life Cambodia Internship project is designed to give recent high school graduates the opportunity for further learning, through university study and on the job training.

Objectives

It is This Life Cambodia’s objective that full time employment will be offered to interns at the completion of their two-year contract. This would mean that they have the financial means to support the completion of their university studies. Therefore, the university scholarship for interns will be reviewed at the beginning of the third year of study.

The objectives of this project focus on developing the capacity of the selected youths to manage and support themselves. The skills and experience that interns acquire in this program will greatly enhance their prospects for employment in the future.

Further, this program will become an extension to our scholarship program, providing a long-term opportunity for our top scholars.

Progress

In July, 2011, This Life Cambodia’s first two interns commenced their work and study.

Nay Sreyneang

Sreyneang started her schooling at Prey Totung Primary School when she was eight years old. She walked three kilometres to school each day. When she was not studying she helped her family with housework, sometimes going to the rice fields to pick rattan for basket weaving. Each day she wove four to six baskets that could be sold for 200 riels (5 cents) each.

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

Saloeurn lived with her family while she was studying at Run Kandal Primary School. As Salouern 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.