Give the gift that keeps on giving.

Help students like these get a full-ride to the school of their dreams.

This year, give the gift that keeps on giving: Education.

We are using the holidays as an opportunity to raise awareness for the all-star students at CFI who need your support to attend University. We’ll update this page with more information about the students throughout the holiday season, so you can get to know the wonderful people you’re supporting.

Your tax-deductible donation will contribute towards tuition, room and board, and moderate living expenses for a year of university.

Meet the Students

The impact of a scholarship

Some of CFI’s university students have shared their experiences to help you understand the difference it makes. Read their stories here.

Vanna

Vanna's Story

What is your name? Vanna

How old are you? I’m 23 years old

What did you study at university? I graduated from the University of Battambang in Marketing major in 2018-2019.

Why do you choose this subject? I chose marketing because I love selling things! I love working with people, I love to connect with new people. My professor once said “The more people you know the more sales you can get.” In the future, I want to have my own shop selling groceries in town.

What did this scholarship mean to you? The scholarship meant a lot to me. I met a lot of people and had a wonderful group of friends, I’ve learned and worked with amazing teachers and they always encouraged and shared experiences about work and life with me.

If you didn’t have this scholarship, what do you think you would have done? Without this scholarship, I would not be able to go to university after I graduated high school. But luckily with CFI’s help, I was able to study straight away to reach my dream for the future.

Did you face any challenges at university? There were a lot of challenges like I didn’t have a computer for doing assignments and it wasn’t always easy to find answers about my major at University. But all of my problems were solved when I come to CFI ask for help. There was always staff willing to help. It made me more comfortable and ready to face the challenges at University.

What was your favorite thing about the university? I think it made my dreams come true. I really think it changed me to a new person. University life was one of my most wonderful and memorable moments, and it showed me how beautiful the world is.

Chovvy

Chovvy's Story

What is your name? Chhorvy

How old are you? I’m 20 years old

What grade are you in? do you study? I in grade 12 at Kdol Donteav High School.

Tell us what you want to study at university? After I graduate from High School, I want to study the Khmer Language.

Why have you chosen this? I chose this subject because I love my language and love Khmer people.

What is your dream for your future? In the future, I want to be a Khmer teacher, teaching poor children so they can help themselves in the future. Attending university is the chance to study towards my dream and make it come true.

Imagine you’re going to study at university, how do you feel? If I can study at university I will be very happy not just for me but also for my whole family because no one in my family has been to university.

What would a university scholarship mean to you? The university scholarship means the world to me. I would not have a bright future if I don’t go to university because that’s life-changing.

What do you think will help you to be successful at university? I think myself and people around who encourage and motivate me especially here at CFI. At CFI everyone is open to questions and to discuss problems so that I feel confident to face those problems.

Once complete, how would you pay back to the community? After I graduate from university as a Khmer teacher, I plan to use my free time to teach children in my community for free and empower them to keep studying and see how big the world is.

Channith

Channith's Story

What is your name? Channith

How old are you? I’m 20 years old

Tell us what you are studying at university? I’m a second year student at the University of Battambang, I’m majoring in Management.

Why do you choose this subject? I choose to study this subject because I want to learn more about how to manage activities in daily life and I want to work in a management team at an organization in the future.

Has anyone else in your family studied at university? Besides me, my sister also studies at university right now. We never thought that we could go to university but because of Children’s Future, we are able to achieve this and fulfill our dream for the future. My family feels proud and excited to see us go to university, and I feel really happy too.

What does this scholarship mean to you and how is it helping you? This scholarship means the world to me, this is the chance to change my world and break the cycle of poverty in my community. Through university, I can find a good job and live my dream in the future.

If you didn’t have this scholarship, what would you be doing? If I didn’t have this scholarship I wouldn’t be able to afford university and I would be pushed away from achieving my dreams. I might find work to earn money to help my family, but I would get up every morning to go to work that I hate for my whole life.

Have you faced any challenges at university? A couple of things, firstly I don’t have transportation to go to university so I asked my cousin. Now we travel together because we study at the same university. Secondly, the textbooks are really expensive, so I have been saving money from my job for the textbooks for the start of each semester. Lastly, I don’t have a laptop to do assignments but luckily I can use the computers at CFI.

What is your favorite thing about the university? The teachers and the environment. The teachers always help and encourage students to study hard and there are a lot of places to relax when you have free time at the university.

How do you plan to give back to your community? I will share the value of education with my community and encourage them to keep their children at school just like me. Also, I am an intern working in the education team at CFI, so I teach students and encourage them to consider university too.

Any recommendations or advice for younger students at CFI? Everyone please study hard and commit to your education, because there is only one way to achieve your dreams and that is to educate yourself. And don’t forget that CFI is still here to support you. And if you have a chance to apply for an internship please do it because CFI is the best place to learn and gain experience and prepare you for your future job.