University Women's Program

Making Promises

Letters from Students

CASF’s University Women’s Program (UWP) was started in 2005 to meet the specific needs of our older students who are transitioning from secondary school into the Cambodian University System. As a percentage of the total population, very few Cambodian women attend university. Yet to gain access to the most competitive jobs in the country, earning an advanced degree is becoming a requirement for our students. Part of CASF’s mission is to support students for as long as they want to learn. As our program matures, greater numbers of our students are entering into university which costs, on average, USD $750 per student per year. Currently, CASF supports 24 students in our University Women’s Program – and that number is growing every year!

Going to university in Cambodia is very difficult, especially for young women. Most universities in Cambodia are located in the capital city of Phnom Penh. Thus, unlike the students in our Individual Pupil Programs (IPPs) who attend classes at their local schools, our university students must leave their homes in the country and find residence in Phnom Penh. For security, cultural and financial reasons, this proves a special challenge for young Cambodian women who want to go to university - even if they CAN pay the tuition. For many, these barriers prevent their going to university. CASF started the University Women’s Program to help our students overcome these barriers so they CAN continue going to school.

Students in the UWP work closely with the CASF Program Director (Sodary Chap), who helps them enroll in classes, find housing, and supports them with their studies. In addition to securing housing, CASF provides scholarships to these students which covers tuition, the cost of purchasing a bicycle for transportation to and from school as well as a small stipend so students can meet basic living expenses. In this way, students in the UWP are able to devote their full attention to their studies.

Consider the following schedule followed by one of our second year university students who is one of 6 children. Before starting at university last year, she lived her entire life in Kandal Province, Cambodia, about 1 hour south of Phnom Penh: “I now live with 3 others girls in housing provided to us by CASF. 6 days a week, I study at University from 7am to 11am, then I take English lessons from 11:30am to 1:30pm and then I go back to University from 2pm to 6pm. At night, I take one hour of French lessons from 7pm to 8pm before I go back home to prepare for my classes the next day. I hope if I work hard I will be a nurse one day. I could not do this without CASF support.”

Our 24 UWP students currently attend 6 different university programs and are studying a diverse array of subjects including chemical engineering, organic farming, tourism, medicine, law, business and finance and economics. Please consider making a donation of $750 to help these students realize their dreams. Now more than ever, it is imperative that young women in Cambodia receive a university education. Thank you for your support.