Minea
As a young girl, Minea lived with her aunt and cousin because she had no immediate family. There was limited access to work in her village, so Minea’s family moved to Thailand when she was nine in search of manual labor.
Children’s Future had not worked with her at the time, but when they heard about her situation several years later, social workers contacted her family and persuaded them to let her return to school. With her family’s support, social workers went to the Thai border, met Minea, and brought her back to her village so she could attend classes there.
The first step when reintegrating a student back into school is always determining whether or not there is a family member who can provide care for a student and ensure that they can go to school. If there is, Children’s Future will ensure that the family has the means necessary to support and provide for the student. During reintegration, Children’s Future assesses whether a student is performing at grade level and determines which grade level they should be placed into, as well as what types of supplementary classes they need in order to catch up to grade level and succeed in their classes.
Minea’s transition back into public school was difficult because she had only had formal education through third grade. Her study skills were minimal and she endured a treacherous commute to school by herself on her bicycle. Teachers at her public school often neglected her, and as her grades steadily fell, it became harder for her to get the extra help she needed.
Recognizing her struggles, Children’s Future staff committed to helping Minea enroll at Dewey International University, a local private secondary school. In addition to enrolling Minea in Dewey, Children’s Future helped her get school supplies and clothes and arranged extra classes to help her catch up in the classes she missed. Children’s Future staff also monitored Minea’s attendance and ensured that she received the extra support she needed to focus on her school work.
After enrolling, her educational outlook became much brighter. Minea is now in 9th grade at Dewey. She is excelling in all of her classes, she is more attentive, she participates and engages more often, she is an asset to the learning environment, and her teachers and fellow students greatly enjoy her company.
Minea is grateful that Dewey accepts students from all backgrounds; unlike many of her wealthy classmates, Minea grew up in poverty with few opportunities available to her. Additionally, her commute is much safer now that she and other Children’s Future students have begun taking a taxi to school each day.
No longer worrying about her basic needs, Minea is able to dream about her goals for the future. She plans to become a wildlife forest ranger because she loves nature and wants to help preserve it. Moved by the fact that many natural resources and animals are becoming extinct in Cambodia, Minea wants to help because she thinks that life would be unbearable without nature. Minea’s future is looking brighter every day, and the staff at Children’s Future are happy to help guide her every step of the way.
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