Sisters standing strong

For Sreyoun, education has never been just about herself—it’s been about holding her family together.

At 20 years old, Sreyoun lives at the Jesuit-supported Student Centre, one of Battambang Education Project’s six hostels in Northwest Cambodia.

These hostels provide not just board and lodging, but learning facilities and guidance for marginalised youth, under a supervised student-formation program run by our Jesuit partner Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang. Here Sreyoun also cares for her two younger sisters and is chasing a dream she promised to her late mother.

Sreyoun and her younger sisters grew up apart due to poverty, with one being supported by the Jesuit Outreach team before they were reunited at the centre.

In 2024, as they were preparing for Grade 12 exams, their mother fell seriously ill. The sisters took turns missing school to care for her.

When their mother passed away and their stepfather left, they had no one—except each other. The centre became their safe haven, and it welcomed their youngest sister, just 8 years old, into their care.

“My hometown was far, and my family had nothing. But I promised my mother I would finish school—and I kept that promise,” Sreyoun said.

“Even without my mother, I had to continue. I want to become a teacher—to help other children like me.”

Today, Sreyoun remains at the centre, continuing her studies while looking after her youngest sister. Their story is a powerful testament to the resilience of family—and the power of sisters who refuse to give up on one another.

This year, she achieved something remarkable: a Grade A in her final high school exams.

Thanks to your generosity, Jesuit Mission supports young women like Sreyoun and her sisters with education, shelter and psychosocial support—so they can not only survive but rebuild their lives with strength, dignity and hope, side by side.

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