From Sponsored Child to Changemaker: Kim Long’s Journey Back to the Classroom

Kim Long was born into a farming family in Cambodia’s Baribour Area Programme, where life was shaped by uncertainty and hard work. “We weren’t a well-off family,” he recalls. “Farming wasn’t enough, so my father would go fishing just to put food on the table.”

Despite these challenges, Kim Long carried a quiet but determined dream from an early age to become a teacher. While many children his age were pulled in different directions, he stayed focused. “I didn’t spend time on anything else,” he says. “I knew I had to study hard to achieve my goal.” The path wasn’t easy. Becoming a teacher meant years of commitment, through primary school, secondary school, and beyond, but for Kim Long, education was never optional. It was the way forward.

His journey began to change when he became part of the sponsorship programme. What started as support for school supplies soon became something much deeper. “As a sponsored child, I joined many sessions on children’s rights, hygiene, and sanitation,” he explains. “Before that, I was shy. But through these activities, I gained confidence.”

He remembers simple yet meaningful moments, drawing pictures, writing letters to sponsors, and participating in group activities with other children. These experiences didn’t just build skills; they helped him find his voice.

At the same time, change was happening beyond his own life. “Before, many people in the community didn’t understand hygiene, and open defecation was common,” Kim Long says. “Now, every family has a toilet. We’ve seen real improvements in health and sanitation.”

The programme also eased the burden on families like his. School bags, books, pens, even bicycles and hygiene kits, these were more than just supplies. They meant one less worry for parents and one more opportunity for children to stay in school.

But for Kim Long, the impact went even further. “I learned facilitation skills, how to support others, and how to encourage young people in my community,” he shares. “I began to see that change wasn’t just happening to me, I could be part of it.”

Today, that childhood dream has become reality. Kim Long is now a teacher. Standing in front of his classroom, he carries with him not just knowledge, but purpose. “As a teacher, I can help children who don’t yet have the opportunity to learn,” he says. “I want to help them access school and build their future.”

The lessons he once received are now the ones he passes on. “I gained so much from World Vision; knowledge, experience, confidence,” he reflects. “Now I use that to support children. It’s not just about me; it’s about all the children in the community.”

Looking back, Kim Long knows his journey was not one he walked alone. “I want to thank the sponsors who supported me and other children,” he says quietly. “Because of that support, I was able to become who I am today.”

His story is one of determination, but also of what becomes possible when a child is given the chance to dream and the support to make that dream real.