You remember Sothon, don’t you? He has been a mainstay at Little Hearts for 11 years, having morphed from a quiet, shy little boy into everyone else’s Big Brother, and even filling in as a caretaker for a few months. Over the years, his life story has been told in several of our blog posts: he came to Little Hearts aged 12 after having spent time in a pagoda; he acclimatized quickly, learned English and worked diligently in school, eventually going on to study agriculture in the university; his agronomic skills were put to good use tending to the campus’s gardens and especially the vegetable patch, which he lovingly coaxed into yielding abundant fresh produce for Ma Khun’s kitchen; he graduated with a bachelor’s degree and recently got engaged to his longtime sweetheart, Srey Nich; and he started to work full-time at Moo Moo Farms a few months ago.
Today is that bittersweet moment when we report on the final step of his transition into adulthood: Sothon is leaving Little Hearts to move into his own little studio apartment in Phnom Penh. That’s not very far, and in any case, he will continue to work at Moo Moo Farms on our side of the river, so this is just goodbye, not farewell, as he is sure to visit often and will continue to be a much-loved member of Little Hearts’ extended family. Throughout his time with us, Sothon has been a hard-working, committed, respectful ward; he has grown into an industrious and earnest young man, and a role model for all his Little Hearts siblings. We shall miss him so very much, but we wish him all the success that he amply deserves as he forges a new life for himself.
And what does that new life entail? Aside from wedding preparations, it’s fully focused on his work at Moo Moo Farms. The dairy farm, as you may remember, is a generous supporter of Little Hearts (they regularly donate plenty of milk so that all our kids get a daily dose of calcium and vitamin D), and that’s how the connection was made. At the farm, Sothon has a variety of responsibilities. Although he’s still on probation, having worked there for less than six months, he is already in a supervisory role. Because he is highly educated, speaks English, and is a natural-born Big Brother, he manages six younger members of the staff who, not surprisingly, look up to him for guidance and support.
In terms of ongoing tasks, much of his time is devoted to maintaining the estate and especially looking after the livestock, including looking after their vaccinations and their feeding and milking schedules. Alas, he must also get his hands dirty sometimes, such as when the cows’ pens have to be cleaned out! He doesn’t mind, though: the sheer variety of his tasks ensures that he’s never bored.
Working with farm animals not only dovetails nicely with Sothon’s training in agronomy, it’s also his passion, so much so that he dreams of one day having his own farm, with a few cows and lots of chickens and ducks. For now, though, he plans to work at Moo Moo Farms for as long as possible, to learn everything he can about animal husbandry and to save enough money to eventually purchase land for his own farming enterprise.
Good luck, Sothon, and thank you for brightening Little Hearts with your disarming smile for so many years. We loved having you as a ward, and we look forward to having you as an alumnus and an engaged member of the family. Don’t be a stranger!
