Leakna grew up with her grandmother in the province during the time that her parents were working in the factory in Phnom Penh. Her parents fought with each other and eventually broke up. Leakna was in Grade 7 and she was only 14 years old when her mother brought her to Phnom Penh to find factory work to help her mother pay off the debt, so she had to drop out of school.
Finally, out of desperation, she found a job at a non-registered factory, and they accepted her regardless of her age. Both the mother and daughter work in the factory.
One day her mother heard about Women of Hope, and she brought Leakna to register for the English alphabet class. At first, she was very shy and barely said anything, but her mom shared everything about her family situation. Later on, she learned about the catch-up program that Women of Hope provides. She felt so excited to have this opportunity and was motivated to apply for Grade 9, and passed the exams.
She said, “I am very grateful that I have this opportunity to study again.”
She is now learning math, English and Khmer at Women of Hope to prepare for Grade 12. Her dream is to be an engineer. Since then, she has been working in the factory for two years. Leakna is now 16 years old. She has to work hard every day.