Vithalin: From a Sponsored Child to a Guardian of Community Health

Vithalin grew up in Cambodia in a farming family that worked hard to make ends meet. Life was steady but fragile, and opportunities, especially education, often came with heavy financial barriers. When she dreamed of studying medicine, the cost felt overwhelming.

“When I wanted to study medicine, the school fees were very high,” Vithalin recalls. “My family could not afford it. We were farmers, and it was very difficult. We tried, and we really struggled.”

Her community, at the time, faced its own challenges. Limited access to information meant that knowledge, about health, hygiene, and well-being, did not always pass easily from one generation to the next. When older people understood less, younger people often did too. The cycle of limited awareness quietly continued.

That began to change when World Vision was introduced to the community.

Through training programmes and the dedication of volunteers, people began to learn about health, hygiene, sanitation, and caring for children. These efforts became a turning point, strengthening not only individual families but the community as a whole.

As a child, Vithalin was part of World Vision’s Child Sponsorship programme. She remembers receiving letters from her sponsor and participating in health, hygiene, and sanitation activities. These moments made her feel seen, supported, and encouraged to imagine a different future.

Child club meetings became especially important to her development.

“If there were no child club meetings, there would be no bravery,” Vithalin says. “If we stayed only at home, we would not be brave.”

Through these gatherings, she found her voice. Once shy and hesitant, she slowly learned to speak in front of others. One volunteer, in particular, noticed her potential and encouraged her to step onto the stage.

“What made me happiest was standing on the stage without fear,” she recalls. “I went from being speechless to speaking well. When the volunteer suggested I go on stage, I felt proud and people began to know me.”

Those moments planted seeds of confidence that would shape her future.

Vithalin still remembers a question her sponsor once asked her: What do you want to be when you grow up? Without hesitation, she answered that she wanted to be a nurse. Years later, that childhood dream has become reality.

Today, Vithalin works as a staff member at a health centre, providing essential health services to people in her community. From sharing vital health information to supporting vaccination services for children and pregnant women, her work directly improves lives every day.

Her family also felt the wider impact of World Vision’s programmes. They gained knowledge about health, hygiene, parenting, and child nutrition. When her family faced financial hardship, her mother joined a Women’s Savings group, support that helped them navigate difficult times and build greater stability.

“As a health centre staff member, I can contribute to my community,” Vithalin says. “I can provide good health services, important health information, and vaccines for children and pregnant women.”

What motivates her most is a simple yet powerful vision.

“I want to see healthy children in the community,” she says. “When children are healthy, they can learn well, and their future is bright.”

Looking back, Vithalin sees how her life was shaped not by one moment, but by years of care, learning, and belief.

“I gained knowledge and developed myself thanks to World Vision and its sponsors,” she reflects. “They supported my community when I was young, and they helped make my dreams come true.”

Vithalin’s journey is a testament to the lasting impact of sponsorship—how support in childhood can grow into strength, service, and hope for an entire community.