Our team

Sarah has over a decade of experience in the NGO sector, focusing on gender-based violence response and prevention. She has led programs, managed teams, and overseen significant organisational changes and legislative reforms. With a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a Bachelor in Human Services, Sarah is passionate about addressing social injustice and upholding human rights. She emphasises a collaborative approach to leadership and team-building through shared goals. As Sarah puts it, “I am deeply committed to addressing and ending violence against women and children in all its forms, and am looking forward to the contribution I will make as Program Manager at Free to Shine.”

For the past two years, Sarah has lectured in Social Work in Melbourne, Australia, and is keen on helping emerging social workers develop strong critical practice frameworks. She joined Free to Shine to support the growth of the social work team and contribute to strengthening community responses that promote safety and protect girls from human trafficking and exploitation.

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Sophanit was born and raised in Siem Reap and she earned her MBA from Build Bright University 2009. She has a number of years of experiences working with NGOs in the areas of education and community development. She is a big believer in the power of education as a tool to fight against poverty. Sophanit loves working with students, their families, and community and making change happen at the grassroots level. She is excited to be part of the Free to Shine as she believes deeply in the power of young girls to realise their dreams and reach their full potential.

Sotheareak, born in Tbong Khmum Province, attended high school in Kranh District. After graduation, he received a scholarship from PEPY, a Cambodia-based education and youth leadership NGO. Through PEPY, he participated in an exchange program in Dublin, Ireland, which inspired him to pursue a degree in International Relations at Pannasastra University. This year, he successfully earned his bachelor's degree in International Relations. In 2023, Sotheareak was selected for a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellowship in the United States. As a member of Toastmasters, he values the transformative power of education and believes it is the key to solving many challenges. Passionate about working with an organisation focused on education, he is particularly inspired by the idea of empowering girls through higher education and protecting them from trafficking. He believes girls are powerful and play a crucial role in shaping their families, communities, and the country.

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Matthew has over a decade of experience in the NGO sector, including experience working in Belize, Timor-Leste, Viet Nam, and currently Cambodia. Matthew has worked at grassroots organisations, INGOs, and IGOs in roles focused on proposal writing, monitoring and evaluation, and communications. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in History Honours and significant experience in the child and youth protection space, Matthew is passionate about human rights and empowering people through participatory development. As Matthew puts it, “I am happiest when mentoring others and building the capacity of young people to be change makers in their own communities, and am looking forward to the contribution I will make as Partnerships Officer at Free To Shine”. 

Matthew has joined Free To Shine to oversee communications and fundraising activities, with a particular focus on securing long-term revenue and helping the communications and fundraising team develop their skills in grants acquisition.

Kongkea grew up in Siem Reap province, later moving away to complete a degree in Psychology from the Royal University of Phnom Penh and begin her career. Whilst at university, she volunteered with the Khmer Youth Association on a drug prevention program, following that with a position as a social worker and counselor at Garden of Hope Cambodia where she worked with underage survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking. Kongkea’s strength and professionalism are an asset to Free To Shine and she says that “because of my experience working with people in the community, especially in the rural areas, I want to see young girls receive an education so they can protect themselves from traffickers. Education is so important, it teaches them to think critically so they can have a better life in the future. I want to see all people in Cambodia understand the importance of education, and understand how it can protect their children from bad situations.” Kongkea is also dedicated to personal development and education.

Bona is from Banteay Meanchey Province, near the Thai border, and grew up in a community where education was not highly valued. However, he was fortunate to have very supportive parents. Reflecting on his work, Bona shared, "the biggest highlight that I would love to share is working with communities to address their root causes of problems and helping them prioritize their own choices."

Bona has been with Free To Shine since 2016, starting as an Education Officer and later being promoted to Social Worker in 2019. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and is currently completing his Master’s Degree in Management.

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Daron comes to Free To Shine with a degree in Community Development. After finishing his degree, he spent ten months studying advanced agriculture at the International Center for Agriculture Training in Israel. This is Daron’s first experience working for an NGO, but he is determined to try his best. Daron says. “Girls will never be happy if they have to depend on a man for everything. I know that girls have the ability to lead their own lives and have potential to achieve all their goals. Cambodia needs more educated people to develop, including girls. We must all try to be good citizens of the world, good students, good children and good role models for one another.”

Vantine, originally from Puk District, is the second Free To Shine beneficiary to transition into a team member at the organisation. After graduating from high school in 2016, she pursued a law degree at the University of South East Asia in Siem Reap, all while volunteering with Free To Shine to assist with Community Trainings. In 2020, Vantine successfully earned her bachelor’s degree. Her dream is to become a lawyer to help others within her community. Vantine believes strongly that girls are powerful and that access to education for girls is crucial. Recognising that girls are among the most vulnerable to traffickers, her hope is to eliminate the vulnerability to trafficking for girls in remote villages and for all children. She envisions a future where Cambodia thrives across all sectors, with a particular focus on eradicating poverty, ending the sexual exploitation of children, and achieving gender equality.

Chanda grew up just thirty minutes outside of Siem Reap. After graduating from high school in 2015, she pursued a degree in law at university, driven by the belief that “it is important that people in Cambodia know and understand how laws should be used.” Shortly thereafter, she joined Free To Shine as an Education Officer. Reflecting on her decision, she shared, "I wanted to work at Free To Shine because I want to help poor children gain knowledge and escape from various abuses." In 2019, Chanda proudly earned her bachelor’s degree and continued on to pursue a master’s degree in Business Administration. She expresses her satisfaction with her work, saying, “I am really pleased to work at Free To Shine because I can provide girls with care and safety by visiting them every month. I can learn about the problems they face, and I am happy to be involved in helping them calmly solve their problems."

Cheat, from Pouk District, was once a beneficiary of Free To Shine. After graduating from high school in 2018, she was awarded a scholarship by Free To Shine to study for a bachelor's degree at South East Asia University in Siem Reap. Cheat chose to study management, driven by her dream of becoming a manager and a strong leader. In 2023, she achieved that dream by earning her bachelor's degree. Passionate about helping others, Cheat shared, "I joined Free To Shine because I want to take this opportunity to use my skills and knowledge to contribute to the community. I want to help people who are living in extreme poverty, and I believe that girls are powerful. Girls are vulnerable to trafficking, especially those living in rural areas. So, if we want to develop Cambodia, we have to end poverty and human trafficking and empower children, especially girls, through higher education and gender equity.”

Da is from Pouk District and was a beneficiary of Free To Shine. She graduated from high school in 2019 and then received a funded University place from Free To Shine. In 2023, she graduated with a bachelor degree in law. Currently, she is doing a master degree in Private Law and Business Law. “I was hoping to share my skills and knowledge about the law with my neighbours, family and community because most of them do not understand much about the legal system. I want to work with Free To Shine to help girls who live in rural areas. I want to see them get educated as it is very important that they can protect themselves from being trafficked. I believe education and empowerment can reduce poverty and exploitation.”

Chhai is originally from Kampong Leaeng District, Kampong Chhnang Province. During his school years, he attended an English program provided by Go Ahead. In 2021, Chhai graduated from high school and received a scholarship from PEPY, a Cambodia-based education and youth leadership nonprofit in Siem Reap, to pursue university studies. As part of the scholarship, he completed a one-year intensive training focused on soft skills, English, and ICT. 

While at PEPY, Chhai had the opportunity to lead a community project aimed at reducing trash in a community. Currently, he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). In addition to his university studies and full-time job, Chhai enjoys volunteering on weekends to teach English to children and share his experiences with the community.

Chhai believes that empowering girls through education and sharing knowledge, skills, and experiences is crucial to preventing exploitation and trafficking. He hopes that these efforts will help girls become great leaders in the future.

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Chreub is originally from Varin District, a rural area that is around an hour and a half from Siem Reap City. Even though she is from a disadvantaged family background, through her hard work and dedication to her dream, Chreub managed to graduate high school in 2021. After high school, Chreub was accepted for a one-year attentive program at PEPY Empowering Youth’s Learning Center where she learned English, ICT, and soft skills. With the dream and motivation to continue to university, Chreub applied for a scholarship at SE Asia Foundation and was accepted. Currently, she is doing a bachelor's degree of accounting, Tax, and Auditor in year four at VANDA University in Siem Reap. Chreub shared, “I hope to apply my knowledge and skills from university to support Free To Shine achieve their mission which is to prevent the trafficking and exploitation of girls.”

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