Meet our amazing staff
At Flame we believe that it is not just what we are doing but who does it that is important. Many of our staff have already travelled the same journey that our clients are on. Who better to lead the way?
INTRODUCING: Chhoun Kong Ai
WHAT IS YOUR JOB WITH FLAME?
You can call me Ai. I work as an assistant in the Flame office. I help with paying accounts, administration and help the staff with lots of other bits and pieces related to admin.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR FLAME?
I have worked for Flame for one year.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I love working with the administration team, they’re really great at coming alongside me, mentoring and training me. I love that Flame is helping children from poor communities- I am not personally face to face with the kids, but I know that I am a crucial part of the support team as I participate in the bigger picture.
The admin team: Senghout, Narom & Ai
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Listening to music, watching movies in English or Chinese, and reading are the main things I like to do in my spare time.
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND/HOW DID YOU END UP WORKING FOR FLAME?
There are 5 members in my family and we are from Kampong Thom. My family didn’t own a house or land. We used to rent near the market until my father was beaten up and then an older relative gave us a very small piece of land to live on. My house was very, very small.
One day at school my teacher told us that we had to draw a picture of our house and everything inside the house. Other students could draw a lot of things and my teacher asked me why I didn’t draw… I really didn’t know what to draw because our house had nothing in it. When a friend asked where my house was, and I told them, they asked me, “How can your family live in that house? It’s too small for 5 people”. The place where I slept was so tiny that I couldn’t sit up in it without hitting my head. When it rained we couldn’t sleep in the house we had to put a tarpaulin over it to try and stay dry.
Two years ago, the relative who had let us live on their land forced us to leave because someone told them that my family would take the land as we had lived there for such a long time already. We didn’t have money to buy or rent a new piece of land but another older aunty lent us the money to buy some of her land. We pay the land off when we have any extra money. We also had to borrow more money to build a house. All of us kids helped to build the house because we didn’t have money to hire anyone to help. Our new house is stronger and better than before but it is still not finished but now we have some places inside the house that stay dry when it rains. We have now have a door but the windows can’t open.
My Dad is unwell and takes medicine daily. Back in the day, he was a mechanic, and was able to fix cars and motorbikes, but now he can only fix motorbikes and bicycles because he is so sick and weak, so he just isn’t able to earn much money. My Mum rides a bicycle and sells peanuts. When I see my mother, my heart goes out to her. My parents both work so hard for a tiny amount of money and I don’t want to take it from them to pay my school fees. My parents often argue about money, there is never enough. It’s really hard for them to provide for me to study.
When I was about 15 years old I heard about Jesus. I began to ask God to help us so that we would not have to live in our old house anymore. I asked God for our own land and our own house. Firstly it was only me but now my younger sister knows Jesus too.
I finished Grade 12 and I passed! I am smart, but very aware that I also have to work hard at school. My mother said I could come to Phnom Penh to study but my father said I couldn’t because he wanted me to work to help support the family. A pastor told me about a place where I could apply to come and live and study, but I didn’t know where to start and by the time I found out all the details, it was too late and I had missed out. I cried and felt utterly hopeless. I begged God to show me the way and then heard about Flame through Srey Meas who was living at the Leadership Academy already.
I applied to Flame and was accepted with a full scholarship with all my university costs covered including a computer, internet, power and my accomodation. Today I am studying Chinese and English at the University of Cambodia, as well as working full-time for Flame. The first thing I want to do after I finish my degree is to get a good job so that I can help my family. I want to pay back the loan they have on the land and to build them a better house.
My dream is to help children from the poorest areas to study, and I want to see my parents become Christians and believe in Jesus like me.
WHAT MESSAGE OR ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE?
But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded. - 2 Chronicles 15:7
