Meet our amazing staff
Som Sokhann
After-school program leader BTP
What is your job with Flame?
My current role is as the After-School Program Leader at the Boeng Tumpum centre.
Orignally, I applied for the job on the Book Tuktuk (now called the Mobile Classroom) because I liked the idea of working in the community and not being in an office. I like the children, I used to be a child like that. I want to be the one to give people advice and they say ‘this guy, I can trust him’. I am happy and excited that people know my tuktuk and they trust it. People often don’t know how to do things or have ideas, that’s what I want to help with.
How long have you worked for Flame?
Three years
What is the best thing about your job?
I enjoy spending time with the children, playing with them as well as mentoring them. We teach life skills with the children, more like a brother or sister than as a teacher.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Football! A year ago I started a soccer ministry on Saturdays with two teams, children 5-10 years and 12-17 years. I used to do it alone but now I do it with two friends so that we can support each other. We teach them life skills, the bible and soccer.
On Sunday night I’m involved in my church’s Men’s Sport Ministry where we play … soccer!
What is your background/how did you come to work for Flame?
I grew up in the provinces, not in a rich family but not poor either. My family were farmers and grew rice, we grew the rice on the mountain without paddies. I walked to school every day for 40 minutes each way. I completed school until the end of secondary.
My family needed to get more money so we moved to Phnom Penh where my sister worked as a housemaid. I completed high school in Phnom Penh and wanted to go to work in the government but my mother said I had to know someone to get those jobs. I took a four-year break, worked in a restaurant and saved to go to University.
I obtained a Law Degree and went to work for a lawyer firm. I didn’t like the work so much and asked myself, ‘What is my talent?’ I wanted to work with poor families who couldn’t afford a lawyer and be someone they could trust. That’s when I heard of a job going at Flame.
What message or advice would you give someone?
I keep this always in my mind, especially when it is hard at work:-
Love your neigbour as yourself
