Rhelyn Harder
- A young woman who used to live at the garbage dump graduated as valedictorian
- Her life changed when she was given an opportunity to study
- She received a full scholarship
Poverty could be a hindrance of having an education, especially in situations where one has to choose between food or education. A young woman who used to be a scavenger recently went viral after graduating as valedictorian and receiving a full scholarship from a prestigious university in Australia.
A young woman named Sophy Ron who hails from Phnom Penh, Cambodia lived at the garbage dump together with her family. She was one of many children who scavenge at the dump, searching for trash which can be sold and exchange for money.
The money she would earn from trash was used to buy their food.
Luckily for Sophy, she was given a chance to change her life. The Cambodian Children Fund (CCF) came to take children out of the garbage dump so they can go to school.
At the age of 11, she had never experienced going to school. But what she had was the determination to cope with her lessons.
The CCF encouraged her to have an education so Sophy pursued her schooling, excelling in her studies and eventually graduating as valedictorian.
Sophy graduated from Trinity College where she delivered her valedictory speech in English.
She received a full scholarship at the University in Melbourne in Australia. Despite what she had achieved, she stays humble and hopes to bring more children out of the garbage dump and into school.
