Help Davy Go from Rural Cambodia to Rutgers

Hi, my name is Nicole, and I've built this GoFundMe on behalf of Sodavy Un to support her education.

 

I met Davy (dah-VEE) at the Documentation Center of Cambodia, one of the world’s foremost Khmer Rouge research institutions. I was the only foreigner in the office, and Davy was one of the few who reached out to make the transition easier. Her companionship and caring meant the world as I tried to navigate a language and culture very different from my own.

 

Now I want to return the favor. Davy’s is a true American Dream story. She comes from a small, poor village in the Cambodian countryside and had to fight her way past cultural and gender expectations into university and then into a position at one of the most prestigious research institutes in the country. With a full-time job, she has gotten up at 2 or 4 in the morning for over a year to take classes online so that she can get her Master's degree in America. Now she has been accepted at Rutgers University, an accomplishment very few in her country can claim.

 

But in Phnom Penh, the average income is about $290 per month, and even someone as highly educated as Davy does not make much more. Without our help, she will not be able to afford to attend. Davy has already received scholarships for her tuition and other school expenses, but she needs about $4,500 per semester for housing and living expenses. She needs to raise at least this much by December 31, 2021.

 

We've talked a lot about privilege in this country over the past few years. Davy had none and has truly earned everything she has achieved. I'd hate for $4,500 to stand in the way of her most-cherished dream. Anything you can give helps.

 

Here is Davy's story in her own words:

 

From childhood, I have wished to be able to receive higher education abroad. I was born and raised in Prey Pkorm village, Phnom Kong commune, Angkor Chey district, Kampot province. I grew up and received my education in this remote village, where traditional culture dominated. Women were not valued as equal to men, and in many respects, they were considered the weaker gender. Having finished high school in 2008, I won a scholarship to continue my degree in Accounting and Finance at the Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE) in Phnom Penh.

 

I not only had to work harder than my male peers, but I had to be willing to sacrifice friendships, community standing, and even my relationship with my closest family members. My parents only wanted me to study within the village. They wanted me to work in the village, marry in the village, and ultimately remain in the village despite opportunities to do more. I can never criticize them because their intentions were always selfless and focused on my protection. My parents grew up in poverty and, in their world, everything outside of the village was not only foreign, but out of reach. My parents were also heavily indoctrinated by the village culture, which discouraged female empowerment. A number of villagers scolded me for my ambition, particularly when I won a scholarship to continue my education in the capital, Phnom Penh. My family continues to struggle with public shame for my perceived rebellion, and I would do anything to pursue my ambition and have the love of my family at the same time.

 

In the fourth year of my study, I started to volunteer and later work with DC-Cam. I travel to the remote parts of Cambodia, speaking to both victims and former Khmer Rouge cadres about the most painful part of Cambodia’s history, the Khmer Rouge regime, during which some 2 million innocent Cambodians perished. I work directly with minority communities and community leaders across Cambodia, holding public forums on a wide range of issues including Khmer Rouge history, the tribunal and justice, victim participation in the judicial process, reconciliation, and democracy. Currently, I am a researcher and staff writer for DC-Cam's grassroots genocide prevention magazine, Searching for the Truth, which plays an important role in disseminating the Center’s work to the public, facilitating discourse on issues related to the Khmer Rouge, and promoting justice and reconciliation in Cambodia.

 

I am pursuing my degree at Rutgers University with the hope that I can not only broaden my own perspective and skills, but also contribute to my community. However, due to current financial circumstances, funding is very important to me to be able to attend and to graduate from Rutgers University. I would be most grateful if I could receive financial aid to pursue my graduate study at Rutgers University’s Global Affairs Master's Program, and hope that you can help me in my quest.