In October, SISHA launched our new Hope Scholarship Award Program
Through this exciting new program SISHA selects 3 of the most outstanding students each year from our Youth Legal Rights Training Courses to receive full financial support to attend university and study a degree related to law, human rights or the social sciences.
The Hope Scholarship builds on our work with the Youth Legal Rights Training, giving all students a tangible incentive and allowing us to create a sustainable impact on Cambodia’s youth, changing the lives of young Cambodians every year.
SISHA firmly believes in the value of education as a key strategy for the elimination of human rights abuses. This program offers a chance to lift Cambodia’s most vulnerable youth and their families out of the extreme poverty that makes them so susceptible to exploitation. It also empowers them to build the values of good citizenship, become role models for their peers, and work to make their own society a better place from within.
The award pledges full support to selected students for the entire 4 years of their degrees, covering tuition and all other costs related to their studies. SISHA also offers the computers, facilities and guidance available at our office to recipients, and will continuously encourage and support them in becoming outstanding citizens. On completion of their studies, all recipients are also offered 6 months of work experience here at the SISHA headquarters, where they can pick up the practical skills necessary for a successful career.
The first three girls to be selected were delighted at the news of the scholarship and are already launching into their new lives and new hope for the future. “I like it so much”, said one of the girls when asked how her studies were going. Another described the scholarship as “a dream come true“.
The Youth Legal Rights Course will continue to reach more young people, and SISHA will extend the Hope Scholarship to more of our top students each year thanks to the generous support of our expert advisor – Mrs. Georgina Hope Rinehart.