What next for our grade 12 girls?

At the end of July four of our Gate Program girls will be taking their final Grade 12 exams. I caught up with them in English class recently and asked them what they are planning next. 

Chandanny is interested in IT. She hasn’t had an opportunity to study IT yet as her school has no computers. She knows that she doesn’t want to design programs, but would be very happy to learn how to use computers properly and get a job doing something with computers.

Vannary is also interested in IT. She was very ill last year with Typhoid, and had to repeat grade twelve. This year she has been studying very hard to catch up but still suffers sometimes from ongoing symptoms from the Typhoid.

Both girls will be sitting an entrance exam for CIST (Centre for information systems training), a partner organisation who provide higher education and job opportunities for disadvantaged students.

Sampov hopes to go to university and study marketing. She currently works and lives at a coffee shop because her father asked her to move out when he could no longer afford to feed all his children. He chose to continue to look after his sons instead. Sampov will continue to work in the coffee shop so she can support herself through university.

Socheata has plans to become an architect, but her family is worried that they will not be able to support her. Socheata is currently ranked in the top five at school and is hoping to achieve at least a half scholarship if not a full one, when she sits her exams in July. Socheata drew a picture to show me her interest.