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: Som Samkhann
WHAT IS YOUR JOB WITH FLAME?
I’m Samkhann, my brother Sokhann also works for Flame. As the After-school Program Leader at the Sen Sok centre. I oversee the teachers and do any documentation. Part of my job is to visit the kid’s homes if they don’t come to the centre or are ill. I help the teachers come up with strategies and lessons and encourage both the teachers and the students which I find very rewarding. If necessary, I will also teach some of the lessons if a teacher is unable.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR FLAME?
I have been working for Flame for 3 years
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I love that in this job I have the opportunity to help the children study and learn and break away from the poverty cycle that I was trapped in when I was young.
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND/HOW DID YOU END UP WORKING FOR FLAME?
I was born in the Province and have two brother and two sisters. My family was a farming family, and so were very poor. During my childhood, I would go to school with my brother, Sokhann, and only had 300real (USD 7cents) to share between the two of us. Everyday my brother and I would walk the 7km journey to go to school, and we continued to do throughout secondary school as well.
In our provence there was no church and no Christians, so I did not know about God till long after I had moved to Phnom Penh in 2009 with my mother, Sokann and my sister for high school.
When living in Phnom Penh, my mother began selling vegetables, but did not make enough money to support my education. Because of this, I found a job as a security job, and funded my own way through high school. I continued my job when I transitioned out of school and into university in 2013.
By 2016 I had successfully graduated with a degree in management at University. It was this same year that I first learnt about God as I had also been learning English in the local church who was offering free classes. Due to my involvement with the Christians at the church, I was witness to their love and wanted to know what it was that they had that I didn’t. I began studying the bible, and soon believed in it myself.
I chose to study management at university so that I can find myself a good job that will not only support myself but also my family – as I am the head of the family without my father in Phnom Penh. I would like to start my own business one day perhaps.
Selling cigarettes was my first job out of university. I hated this job as they would push me to smoke cigarettes and encourage me to steal money. I had started the job because it had a high salary, but very quickly I wanted to leave it. Not long after I began that job I heard about Flame and applied to be a part time teacher at SMC. I was accepted.
After working part time for Flame for four months, I became a full-time teacher. In June 2017, I changed from SMC to Sensok and trained for three months to be the Activity Centre Leader.
Through working for Flame, I met my wife. She was working in Mother Care. Now we have begun our own little family and have a one-year old daughter together.
Because of my childhood I can relate to the children we have in our Activity Centres at Flame. I really love the children and community that Flame has. I had a hard childhood, and I do not wish to see these precious children struggle in the same way I once did.
