Srey Mom seeks justice

Looking ahead

Srey Mom is a vibrant young GATE scholar who recently shone out from a crowd of more than two thousand applicants to win herself a six month data management operator training with CISTRAIN in Phnom Penh. This will be followed by paid work with Digital Divide Data in Battambang, where she plans to study law and information technology.

When we asked Srey Mom why she chose law, this is what she told us. “I’ve seen a lot of injustice in my community. Those who are in the right often lose at court while relatives of village heads win cases. My friend was raped, and when her case went to the district magistrate the perpetrator paid the judge. The case was dismissed as the judge decided the rape was consensual,” says Srey.

“My friend’s life has been ruined. She felt ashamed and ran away, unable to continue living in our village. She wanted to be a teacher and had already done the exams, now she’s doing sewing. Her life has been destroyed by this; I want to become a lawyer and work to get justice for people like my friend.”

With the 20 hours of weekly English instruction Srey Mom will receive during her six months at CISTRAIN, we expect that she will be well prepared  not only for the language demands of college but also  to compete in the professional market. Thanks to support from our donors, she will have every chance to attain her dream of becoming a lawyer and make a powerful impact for justice and women’s rights. We look forward to telling  you her story as it unfolds, as well as those of dozens of other GATE graduates who will enter this program.