For the Sake of Access to Clean Water

A Teenage Dream of Hers Gets Her Here and Where She’s Going Next. This is the story of a young determined female student majoring in Environmental Science, the country’s perceived exceptional profession.

“Some people perceive that [natural] science majors are hard to study or even find a job after graduation, but I see it from a different perspective. As long as we have a clear goal and strong commitments, there are many opportunities waiting for us.”

Even without permission from one of her parents, and enough courage to choose science major after finishing high school, Koum Raksmeymony still strives and fights for her dream.

Amid firstly-introduced restriction to improve quality of high school exam, Raksmeymony finished her high school in 2013 with honor, granting her a scholarship to study Environmental Science at Royal University of Phnom Penh.

The 22-year-old senior student has always been curious about environmental issues since she was in high school. “I witnessed many unsolved environmental issues, and I promised myself I would contribute as much as I can to cope with the situations,” Raksmeymony said.

Amongst environmental issues confronting contemporary Cambodia, Raksmeymony figured out that access to clean water, which is one of the fundamental human rights, is still a challenge to rural Cambodians.

This served as an idea for Raksmeymony and her classmates in doing a research project about “Water Quality Near Dongkoa Dumping Site”. The findings of the research study will point out the water problem and call for more actions in finding better solutions to ensure the quality of the water there since the nearby local residents may be consuming contaminated water.

Back in 2014, Raksmeymony did her first voluntary work for Wild Life Alliance concert. A year later, she was selected to be a member of Young Eco-Ambassador (YEA). Reasmeymony is in charge of the water team running their first project called YEA’s 10 Days Mission to help people in rural provinces with little access to clean water.

The 10 days Mission aims to improve access to clean and safe drinking water in Cambodia using the Bio-Sand Water Filter (BSF) technology. With the collaboration from Clear Cambodia, the Water team of Young Eco-ambassador managed to build a Bio-Sand Filter and a wash basin for a village of Samrong District in Kampong Speu.

That big bio-sand filter was built in the village’s school with 478 students. Since their families could only access rain, a canal nearby, and ponds, as the main source of water, the bio-sand filter is beneficial for them in purifying the water from those resources.

“I am so grateful to be a part of the project that provides what people in the community need,” Raksmeymony said -- with a smile on her face. 

Because water management issue is always her area of interest, last year, Raksmeymony decided to conduct her internship at World Fish Organization, where she mainly worked on different projects regarding the water-related issues. 

Additionally, Raksmeymony was also granted the opportunity to participate in ASEAN Students Environment Platform in Vietnam and Japan. Earlier this year, she also received a consolation prize from Honda Y-E-S (Young Engineer and Scientist) Award 2016.

“Studying science is not about being cool. I saw some people just study it because they think it would make them look cool, not because of their love into subjects. Please don’t do that. Go for what you love and then you will reach your goal,” she said.

Raksmeymony added that if she could go back and ask her 18 year-old self in high school whether she would still choose to major in Environmental Science or not, her answer is a firmly “Yes”. 

“I would say ‘Thank You’ to myself in high school for choosing this major, and I had no regret in choosing it as it is my dream,” Raksmeymony said.

After graduating, Raksmeymony desires to pursue her postgraduate study abroad in Hydrology and Water Resource Management to strengthen her capacity. She dreams about returning back as a water expert in the upcoming future to improve the water management in her home country. 

Koum Raksmeymony, an Environmental Science student and a member of 10 Days Mission.
Photo: AOMPUL/Som Panha

by Sar Pisey