The selection process

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
— C.S. Lewis

We finally returned home after the fundraisers in the States and our brief visit to Belgium. The plan for this week had been months in the making—carefully penciled into our calendar before we even left Cambodian soil.

This was the week we were going to enroll new students, to welcome the next generation. Everyone on our team had been briefed before our departure: the caregivers knew their roles, the teachers were ready to support, and our school in Siem Reap stood quietly, prepared for what was meant to be a smooth transition.

But in Cambodia, nothing ever unfolds exactly as planned.

A Change in Direction

We received news from the founders just a few weeks earlier. Their message was clear: “Strive for excellence. Support only those within our target group.” Over the years, too many students were enrolled in the program outside the NGO's target audience. Our task was straightforward: rip the band-aid off and correct the wrongs made by the previous team. We had to let some students go who did not meet the organization's criteria.

Back to Siem Reap

We landed at Siem Reap International Airport late in the evening. The airport was quiet, humid air rushing in as we stepped outside, wrapping around us like a warm blanket. A tuk-tuk driver waved us down, and we bumped along familiar roads under the glow of yellow street lamps, heading back to our small apartment.

That first night, sleep was elusive, and the heat was omnipresent. Our minds raced, wondering how our Khmer staff would receive the news and whether they would understand and support this change.

Facing the Team

We woke groggy, but my signature strong coffee brewed in the tiny kitchen revived us just enough to carry the weight of the day.

We arrived at the school and sat down with our teachers and caregivers beneath the fans spinning overhead. We explained everything: the revised vision, the hard decisions, and what would happen next.

It was an emotional meeting. Some cried. Others sat in quiet disbelief. These weren’t just students, but part of the Kulen Outreach family. They had lived side by side with the children for nearly a year, sharing meals, birthdays, and bedtime stories.

But once the emotion subsided, and everyone agreed and understood, we shifted into gear. We broke down the new plan step by step. Everyone had a role, and we had only a few days to make it happen.

Popel Village: On the Mountain

The next morning, we headed to Kulen Mountain with the caregivers in a van packed with bottled water, clipboards, notebooks, and English tests. Setting off before sunrise. The road to Kulen Mountain twisted through forests and past early-morning markets. When we reached Popel village, one of the most remote communities on the mountain, the humidity had already risen.

The principal of Popel Primary School greeted us and generously opened his classrooms to us for the day. The two villages and the broader communities were informed weeks ahead, and all the 6th-grade students from the two key villages we support were invited to take the test.

We gathered the 6th-grade students, all wide-eyed and curious, with pencils and pens at the ready. First came the English proficiency test, followed by the motivational interviews, held in separate classrooms, where our caregivers asked about their dreams and fears and what it would mean to study away from home.

While the interviews took place, Kiki and I huddled over a wooden table, grading each paper with care and highlighting every promising sentence.

Before leaving, we thanked the principal, teachers, and shy children for their trust in us.

Decision Time

We debriefed on the way back, and we are already considering improvements for next year’s selection.

Once back at the school, we regrouped in the staff room. After reviewing the results from Popel and Klah Khmum Village, our target villages, we debated passionately and finally selected the ten most motivated students with the strongest English foundations.

We sent the good news via Telegram, Cambodia’s go-to communication app, finalizing the first step in the enrollment process. The following day, we're going up the mountain again and visiting the new students at home to give extra information to the parents.

Looking Ahead

The week we thought would be a soft landing back into our routine became one of the most intense weeks we’ve ever faced in Cambodia, and these were just the first two days. However, I'd like to think that we are still moving forward—one student, one dream, one mountain at a time.