Hello, my name is Noeng Oeurn. I was born in 1985 in a province called Kom Pong Cham shortly after the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge waged a terrible genocide that killed 20% of Cambodia’s people; many people in my village, including many of my relatives had been killed. I have eight siblings - four brothers and three sisters. I was the third child in the family because two of my siblings died. They both died from lack of nutrition just before I was born because there were no doctors. My mother was so sad that she did not tell me this until I was 11 years old. I would also get sick 2-3 times a year from the lack of food and medicine. There is still not enough nutrition or medicine today, and many children get sick and die when they are very young.

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I started to work when I was 7 years old. I took care of the buffalos and also worked in the rice fields. It was a dangerous job. Once I fell off one of the buffalos and my teeth went through my face. When I turned 12 years old, I was finally able to start school as a first grader. As a student, I loved to study; however, when I was in the fifth grade, I had to stop school because I had to work more at the farm and with the buffaloes. I was 16 when I became a monk because in the pagodas they teach you many things. At 22 years old, I had to quit being a monk because I needed to get a job to pay for food. I studied computers and got a high school degree when I was 25, and this is when I decided to change my life. I had been hungry for 10 years, and thought I would probably die young because I did not have enough food to eat. I thought that before I die, I must do some good actions. I decided not to look for a job to help myself, but to help the poor people. I moved to a village to teach English to poor children and received no salary but it was okay.

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I started to work when I was 7 years old. I took care of the buffalos and also worked in the rice fields. It was a dangerous job. Once I fell off one of the buffalos and my teeth went through my face. When I turned 12 years old, I was finally able to start school as a first grader. As a student, I loved to study; however, when I was in the fifth grade, I had to stop school because I had to work more at the farm and with the buffaloes. I was 16 when I became a monk because in the pagodas they teach you many things. At 22 years old, I had to quit being a monk because I needed to get a job to pay for food. I studied computers and got a high school degree when I was 25, and this is when I decided to change my life. I had been hungry for 10 years, and thought I would probably die young because I did not have enough food to eat. I thought that before I die, I must do some good actions. I decided not to look for a job to help myself, but to help the poor people. I moved to a village to teach English to poor children and received no salary but it was okay.

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Why did I choose to teach English for my good actions?

I chose to teach as my good action because English is SO important for the children of Cambodia. Without it, the children will not be able to finish high school or university because many of the textbooks are written in English. Furthermore, in the countryside, nobody comes to help the poor children learn English.

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Why I have chosen to work with TASSEL?

I have chosen to work with TASSEL because I want to help poor people. I want to change this country through TASSEL. I completely understand the situation for poor families and I do not want future generations to suffer with their lives. Children can learn so much from TASSEL; they have a chance to become fluent in English and get a better education. Once the children receive an education, my country will change.

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What is the goal of my life?

The goal of my life is to share the truest love to the poor that do not have love. I want the people in my Kingdom of Wonder to receive the truest love. Almost everyone in Cambodia has a similar life to me. They are poor, they want an education, but do not have the opportunities. Through TASSEL’s support, I, and many others, are able to achieve our dream of being educated and helping others like us. With help from TASSEL, I believe we can change my country. I am so happy to work with all the foreign teachers who have been helping TASSEL.