“Kum Ratana is a wonderful example of how a life can be transformed when support from People Improvement Organization (PIO) and JustWorld International (JWI) is joined with personal strength, resilience and an intense desire to succeed.”

— Kum’s teacher at PIO in Phnom, Pehn, Cambodia.

Kum’s life today is that of a determined 24-year-old who is building his own business of raising and selling lobsters. In addition to working on his entrepreneurial goals, the PIO alumni is also in the midst of studying for his grade 12 national examination, a task he’s been focused on since 2018. He is the first of his family to reach senior secondary school, and after passing the exams he plans to continue his education by enrolling in university to study literature and mathematics with the dream of returning to PIO as a teacher. 

            His growing education and budding business have all the markings of a bright future, but in life we don’t all begin the race on the same mark. Ever since Kum was born into extreme poverty it was evident he would have to fight for every single opportunity. One of seven children, he suffered through injury and serious illness while scavenging at the municipal garbage site to help his family survive until he was nine-years-old. Yet soon came the intervention of JustWorld and the helping hand of Phymean Noun, PIO’s founder and director, with the tools he needed to build the foundation for a better future. 

            With two ailing parents unable to work, the JWI’s Rice for Families program has made all the difference. The program provides students with good attendance 5kg of rice to take home, which is enough to feed a family of six for an entire month. This meant that Kum and his siblings who also attended PIO were able to focus on their studies while bringing home food to their family without having to return to the dumpsite. 

            His intense desire to succeed supersedes any personal ambition. Kum, who is especially close with his mother, hopes to honor the struggles and sacrifices she’s made to support their family by lifting her out of poverty. He is also committed to helping his fellow students studying for the grade 12 exam too. 

            “I am very thankful to PIO and JWI for helping me by providing an education that has led me to become a good student. Being surrounded by good and respectable people have especially motivated me to enjoy studying. All of the studies and activities have prepared us to have a successful future,” said Kum. 

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JustWorld International

Established in 2003, JustWorld was founded to provide equestrians a way to support carefully vetted education programs for impoverished children around the world. Thousands of JustWorld Ambassadors from more than 40 countries have since committed to “ride for the cause” and assist JustWorld in accomplishing its mission to help build brighter futures for these children and their communities. Equestrian-based companies and events worldwide support JustWorld’s efforts, and the governing body of the global equestrian sport, the FEI, has endorsed JustWorld as its official charity partner. In 2022, JustWorld is helping improve the lives of nearly 10,000 impoverished children around the globe on a daily basis.

To donate, become an ambassador, or learn more about JustWorld, please visit www.justworldinternational.org or follow @justworldinternational on Facebook and Instagram.