PEPY Empowering Youth

1. PEPY Empowering Youth Make a difference!

2. Why do we need to support Cambodian students? • Young people​, especially in Kralanh and SreiSnam Districts, Siem Reap Province feel there are not many options for them which leads to have low aspirations. 90% of the people are farmers and earn around $3 a day.* • Many students leave high school and migrate illegally to Thailand where they can earn around 10$ per day. Even students who finish high school still migrate, get married, or work the rice farms after graduating as their parents cannot afford to send them to university.** • Because this is the norm in rural communities, students lack good role models who can demonstrate the value of continuing their education. • According to statistics released by Siem Reap Provincial Department of Education Youth and Sports in 2016 – 2017: • 161,551 students ( 78,218 girls) were enrolled in Primary School. • 43,746 students ( 23,764 girls) were enrolled in Secondary (Middle) School. • Only 20,201 students​​​​( 11,218 girls) were enrolled in High School. *Tunon, M. & Rim, K. (Oct 2013). Cross-Border Labour Migration in Cambodia: Considerations for the National Employment Policy. ILO. **Bylander, M. (2017, Jan.) Cambodian Migration to Thailand: The Role of Environmental Shocks and Stress. Knomad Working Paper (7).

3. What would the best way to help? • Supporting high school graduates to access university and ultimately skilled employment locally will create sustainable and positive impacts in our target communities. • Given that our students become positive role models demonstrating the power of education, and that many even offer support or workshops to their younger community members, PEPY’s indirect impact is exponential.

4. About PEPY • PEPY is a local NGO which is certified as a Governance and Professionalism Practice is running 3 big Projects (Dream Management, Scholarship and Learning Center) to ensure that young, bright, committed and dedicated students can reach their dreams and make a difference in their families and communities. • PEPY’s mission is connect young Cambodians to the skills, opportunities and inspirations needed to reach their potential. • Our main core values • Transparency and accountability • Integrity and honesty • Respect and support each other • Learning, sharing and have fun • Ownership and collaboration • Open to give and receive feedback

5. Dream Management Project • In Dream Management Project, PEPY provides high school students a forum to identify and discuss their ambitions for the future, and any challenges they may need to overcome, Career resources, mentorship, and one-on-one and group workshops. • PEPY invites Successful Cambodian professionals to present students and gives them exposure to different ideas and aspirations. We also run Skills Fairs so that all students can ask questions and see opportunities from universities, NGOs, businesses, and companies in Siem Reap.

6. Scholarship Project • PEPY provides university and vocational training scholarships for students from Kralanh, SreiSnam, and our partner NGO’s target areas. • Scholarships include 3 years of tuition to universities and vocational schools in Siem Reap, a bicycle, use of a computer, a living allowance, and access to healthcare. • Scholarship students also attend PEPY’s Learning Center in Siem Reap for at least one year, which provides English, technological, and soft skills (presentation skills, CV and interview techniques, cultural exchange, leadership, confidence building, creative learning) to prepare them for a rapidly evolving labor market that increasingly requires these abilities. SreiSnam Kralanh Baray Kampong Leng

7. Scholarship Project – Continued • In order to ensure that PEPY’s impact is felt more broadly in our target populations’ communities, Scholarship students are required to plan and implement community projects during their time at PEPY. • For example, last year, one group of students researched health issues in their communities and implemented health and hygiene workshops to youth and families in their community. • More broadly, our Scholarship Program encourages students’ peers, families, and younger children in these communities to see the tangible results and value of pursuing an education and dreaming big about the job opportunities available, both locally, nationally, and internationally

8. Scholarship Student Costs • A scholarship for one student to complete his/her bachelor’s degree costs around $4500. You can break this donation into three years ( Year 1: $2,000, Year 2: $1,200 and Year 3: $800) • You can also support specific parts of the PEPY Scholarship: • $700 : will secure one year of tuition fees for one student. • $720: will secure one year living allowance for one student. • $120: will allow one student to attend one team building training course. • $100: will secure one year of health care for one student. • $60 : will secure one bicycle and one helmet for one student. • $60: will secure one month’s living allowance for one student.

9. PEPY’s Learning Center • Graduation from tertiary education does not necessarily lead to securing a job. • There are chronic skills shortages in high school and university graduates. Key skills found to be lacking included soft skills such as leadership, interpersonal communication, critical and analytical thinking skills, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Also lacking were hard skills such as proficiency in English language and Information & Communication Technology.* • The Learning Center provides hard and soft skills training based on these skills gaps, both to Scholarship students and other students from disadvantaged backgrounds *National Employment Agency, 2017

10. Learning Center – English Class We provide both internal and external English classes, which supplement the English Classes that the students attend at university. However, we go beyond the textbook curriculum to provide practical skills through the English language, such as critical thinking and student-centered strategies to increase motivation.

11. Learning Center – ICT Class Communication through technology is increasingly important in securing jobs. Students learn industry-standard software applications, including Microsoft Office, graphic design, and online communications, in preparation for future employment.

12. Learning Center – Youth Empowerment Class • YE Class aims to build confidence and skills in interpersonal communication, leadership, problem-solving, and critical thinking. • Topics include: program management, presentations and facilitation, SDG strategies, empathic communication, CV/cover letter writing, yoga, creative writing, traditional dance, drawing, and music. • In addition, the Learning Center invites speakers several times a year, showcasing Cambodian role models who have achieved success in their professional lives. We also facilitate forums between potential employers and students, so they can learn more about the job market. To help students enhance their work experience and build their confidence, we help connect students with temporary opportunities such as internships and volunteering.

14. Meet Chiva – Scholarship Student in 2017 ChivaProeun is teaching Digital Literacy and typing classes to young kids at JWOC, a local NGO. Prior to earning a PEPY scholarship in 2017, Chiva worked very hard in high school to change in his family’s future by investing in education rather than migrating illegally like some of his friends in the same village. Chiva’s family lives approximately 100 kilometers away from Siem Reap city in SreiSnam, where information about higher education and job opportunities is extremely limited. He is working toward his bachelor’s degree at the University of South-East Asia (USEA) in Siem Reap. Chiva is a very committed and dedicated person, and enjoys his teaching very much. He works six days a week from 8 to 5 pm, then attends college at night, but he says, “I never feel tired when I’m teaching.” Chiva is not only making positive changes in himself, he is also changing other children’s lives through his teaching. His life story will inspire many kids in his class and his community.

15. Meet Sina – Scholarship Student in 2016 Sina works for Angkor Hospital for Children as a Medical Assistant. She enjoys her work very much because she is part of the team that provides free health care to children, especially those from rural communities. Prior to her job at Angkor Hospital for Children, Sina was awarded to join a three-week exchange program with PEPY’s partner school in Ireland named DonabatePortrane Educate Together National School (DPETNS). Her time in Ireland was terrific. Sina learned and shared so much about the Cambodian and Irish culture, environment, education, and how people live. Sina joined PEPY scholarship program in 2016 and is now a junior at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia, working toward her bachelor’s degree in International Relations. Her dream now is to continue her education abroad after graduation. Her course is delivered in English language.

16. Meet more Scholarship students! • https://youtu.be/hkuHedgIqK8 - Meet Sokhom • https://youtu.be/iofff_QSKQQ - Hear about why students applied for scholarships and what their future plans are!

17. We need your support! • To continue making an impact on our students, their families, and their communities, we need your help! • You can make a donation by visiting our website (pepyempoweringyouth.org) – each dollar makes a huge difference in the lives of each of our students! • You can also share our website and social media with your friends and family. Together, we can make a difference in the quality of lives of Cambodian youth and their communities!

18. Donor Testimonial “We were introduced to PEPY Empowering Youth in 2016, during a site visit with GoPhilanthropic, a New York-based organization that recommended PEPY for being a qualified NGO aligned with our goals. Although we have supported three other NGOs in Siem Reap, each with slightly different orientation, PEPY is the only one focused on high-school age students with a continuum of programs that pulls talented youth into vocational and professional education, while also contributing to higher rates of persistence and graduation from high schools in their target areas. This is a critical need in Cambodia, and is essential to raise the standard of living particularly in rural areas.The organizational strengths that will sustain PEPY and our continued engagement include its local leadership, committed staff, low turnover, and discipline of ongoing process and outcomes measurement. These are the types of business management qualities that have PEPY’s volunteers and donors returning year after year, confident in the long-term stability and growth of the organization. Now that PEPY is firmly established with a proven operating model and a successful scholarship program, each year we see another group of students enroll in post-secondary education, while prior classes graduate, enter the work force, supporting their families and communities. Just in the last year, PEPY launched an alumni association and initiatives to diversify fundraising, among other strategic development projects. At the same time, PEPY has achieved “Good Professional Practice” designation by CCC, recognizing their disciplined and transparent business and accounting practices.We plan to stand with PEPY for years to come, and we look forward to witnessing a growing family of alumni as each year now produces another 20-30 graduates that will make a difference in their communities and country, in keeping with the PEPY vision. PEPY gives donors like us the opportunity to sponsor additional youth education and health programs, in addition to securing scholarship funds that keep their Learning Center operating at full capacity and maximizing the use of their assets. This is a great organization with inspiring students and teachers, and we feel very fortunate to have found them in 2016.”-Robert and Robin Craig

19. To learn more about PEPY • To learn more about what we do: http://pepyempoweringyouth.org/ • To get regular updates on what we do: https://www.facebook.com/pepyempoweringyouth/ @pepy_cambodia (Instagram) @PEY_NGO (Twitter) • To see what we do through our videos:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd93Sa0Q01j9TRgPHGjta4g • To contact us: contact@pepyempoweringyouth.org