Sarim arrived at Little Hearts with his two brothers many years ago shortly after witnessing his father die and his mother unfortunately unable to support them anymore with 5 other children to care for. Now at 21 he is completing his 2nd year in a Bachelor of Marketing at the National University of Management and has recently taken on the role of Marketing and ICT Coordinator at Little Hearts. In his new role, he will be creating and compiling content for our website, social media and promotion of events.
After graduating high school with Little Hearts he went on to study marketing with the goal to one day start his own business. Noticing people are becoming more environmentally aware and conscious he aspires to establish his own e-bicycle shop and rental business bringing new products to the Cambodian market and to giving local people an alternative to the fossil fuel generating motorcycles used by most families here. He chose marketing understanding that being successful in business is more than just selling, it about advertising, branding and promotion and he is very keen to develop his skills in those areas.
A Daunting Journey
Sarim’s journey to the young aspirational man he is today is nothing short of inspiring and perhaps best told in his own words:
“Before Little Hearts, I stayed at a different orphanage. I didn’t do much school, besides gambling, doing things which I realize that it’s not good to do which it contrasts from what other people think and it’s true. Sometimes I even know that what I’ve done is bad too but there’s another little mindset that always said to me “that’s ok, it’s right, just a bit more, I’ll stop it” especially when I was in a gambling situation. There was not a really good structure or good guidance at all.
I was just gone out together within and outside friends to sometimes smoke, sometimes drinking beer a bit, just to feel in a fancy way. I did some of the stealing stuff (most of the time is fruit like mango, banana, coconut…) and also the fighting stuff too. You might think that’s like the gangster and an unsocial kid’s story, that’s true but without those moments I might still not realize what is bad what is good too. For me, those moments are the important experience and a good lesson that I’ve ever learnt.
Then things were different once I had the chance to be parts of the Little Hearts family.
Without Little Hearts, I don’t think that I would have these chances still until these days. Maybe I wouldn’t have the mature behaviour? Maybe I might not have the knowledge I have now? I might already work in a factory maybe? I don’t know. But what I know now is that I’ll try my best to change them all, to change it to a better one as the light is brighter when we plug the adapter. I hope and wish my dream will come true, as long as I have the chance, as long as I have the guardian who will guide me to the right way, and of course, I do need some motivation!
I had worked in other shops and a hotel name Plantation a few times too while I was having had the holiday of my Khmer school vacation, so that I can some experience, joining social, and have some salary to fill what I in need. This new opportunity of working on marketing, promoting for Little Hearts, it’s really new for me. I know that it’s difficult as we all know when it comes for the first time, but besides that, I will explore new skills, new knowledge, a new experience which is nice and great for me in the future, for my future”
Path to a Promising Future
Sarim joined Little Hearts as a very playful young kid but each year has become more and more responsible growing into a very intelligent, compassionate, and independent young man. Before he started college, he would sit each night with the small boys reading bedtime stories to help them improve their English and get a good night’s sleep for school.
He has a talent for electronics and fixing devices that is almost entirely self-taught as a hobby and was recently able to repair our washing machine for the 40 kids that live at Little Hearts which broke down in the middle of COVID lockdown. When we started looking for someone to take on some of the Little Hearts marketing and promotional activities the choice was obvious.
Sarim has developed a fantastic worth (work) ethic, he has an inquisitive mind and a drive towards new learning and a talent for forward-thinking. We couldn’t be prouder to have one of our own kids grow into a young man who was our first choice to join the team in a role he can balance part-time with his studies and get experience for the future he is now building for himself.