Meet our Program Director

My name is Sodary Chap and I am the Program Director for CASF.  I am 26 years old and I have a younger brother, Sophal, and a younger sister, Dany. Though I was born in the Srey Santhor district of Kampong Cham province, I finished my primary and secondary education in Srey Santhor. My parents moved to Sihanouk Ville in 1995 and ran a small business there.

At that time, Sophal, Dany and I were sent to study at Bak Touk School in Phnom Penh. We children lived together in an inexpensive apartment and found it very difficult to cope with the situation alone in such a large city. Our parents tried to send us money regularly, yet it was often a struggle to afford food and school fees as well as have enough money to pay the rent.

After graduating from high school, I worked for the National Election Committee in Kampong Cham province as a translator for the International Observers of Cambodia's General Election in 1998. The following year I began studying for my degree in Aquaculture at the Royal University of Agriculture and also worked part-time to help support my family. As a first year student, I volunteered to work for a land study project sponsored by Oxfam. I was involved in on-the-job training with other program officers assisting in compiling and analyzing data collected in surveys regarding land use in the country. During my second year I worked regularly for the World Food Program entering data and translating questionnaires.  Afterwards, I joined a team conducting a baseline survey on tertiary road improvement in four rural provinces.

In June, 2003 I started to work for CASF as the Program Director where I have been working ever since.  Now, in addition to working for CASF, I am also enrolled in a Masters Program at the Charles Stuart University in Phnom Penh where, as long as everything goes well, I will graduate in two years with a Masters degree in Business.

I think working for CASF as Program Director has been a real turning point for me. The job is very challenging and I am always interested in finding ways to help at-risk children overcome obstacles that may interfere with their education. In working with CASF, I realize how vital this job is to the students we serve and to the future of my country.  I am truly working to benefit poor people who really need the support.As the Program Director for all of CASF’s Cambodian programs, I always put students’ interests first and listen carefully to their views regarding their study and living.  Doing this, I can provide necessary support and encouragement to them as needed.  I am really happy to see more and more students, particularly girls, enter into the university.  This is a remarkable achievement of the CASF program, for the benefit of the Cambodian children who come from rural poor families and wonderful for the future of Cambodia. I feel great satisfaction when I talk to the students about their progress and how CASF contributes to their success.

I am really looking forward to seeing all CASF supported students have the opportunity to study in the University. In September, 2006, we will have more students entering university than ever before.  Based on my experience as Program Director, I would like to say to everyone that your contributions make a huge amount of difference for the most needy Cambodian children, especially girls who are usually considered a low priority.

My two primary goals in the future are to effectively and efficiently work on CASF projects in order to ensure their smooth operation and to continue my further education to improve my broader general knowledge.

Without the generous support from CASF, the students we sponsor would find it very difficult (if not impossible) to access higher education. For everyone who has donated to our program, thank you again for your continued support for the children of Cambodia.  If you have not donated to CASF programs, please consider doing so.  You support will make a huge difference in the lives of these young girls.

Please email me if you have questions.  My email address is sodary@cambodianscholarship.org.