A Life-Changing Opportunity for One of Our Amazing Girls
We are delighted to share an inspiring achievement from the Amazing Girls Cambodia program at KKO. One of our students, Malyneth, has been selected to volunteer in Germany for one year—a life-changing opportunity that reflects her hard work, determination, and the commitment of our organization to empowering young Cambodian women.
This opportunity came through our long-time partner, VJF – Vereinigung Junger Freiwilliger e.V., based in Berlin. VJF has been sending German volunteers to KKO and several other NGOs in Cambodia since 2013. In recent years, they have introduced an exchange initiative, inviting one Cambodian young person to volunteer in Germany as part of a cultural and professional development program.
When KKO was invited to nominate a candidate, Phary, the director of KKO and the main coach of the Amazing Girls Cambodia program, encouraged two dedicated girls from the program to apply and take part in the selection interviews. After a competitive process, Malyneth was selected as the only candidate from Cambodia.
Following months of preparation and a complicated visa application process, the German Embassy in Cambodia officially approved her visa. Malyneth flew to Germany at the end of September and has since begun her volunteer placement teaching English to kindergarten students at a school in Berlin.
For Malyneth, who comes from a rural Cambodian village, this is a transformational milestone. Living and volunteering in Germany will broaden her worldview, strengthen her teaching skills, enhance her independence, build confidence, and open new opportunities for her future. She has long dreamed of seeing the world beyond Cambodia, and through perseverance, dedication, and continuous encouragement from Phary and the Amazing Girls Program, she has achieved this dream.
KKO is extremely proud of her, and we believe this experience will enable her to return home with new skills, knowledge, and global perspectives that she can share with her community and future generations of girls.
Looking ahead, we are committed to working with VJF to continue this exchange program in the coming years, allowing more young women from the Amazing Girls Cambodia program to gain valuable international experience. We believe that empowering girls through education and exposure to the wider world is one of the most meaningful investments we can make.
Congratulations once again to Malyneth—her success is an inspiration to us all.
