Twenty five years ago DDD founders went all in on a vision to alleviate poverty among vulnerable youth. During his travels in Cambodia, co-founder Jeremy Hockenstein felt moved to action. “I met a lot of young people who were really inspiring,” he said. “It was clear they wanted a better future and were trying to find their way.”
DDD’s early leaders were banking on the idea that with a job and work-ready skills, young people could embark on a path to self-sufficiency. From that big bet, they hammered out a program to give youth access to technical and professional skills for the workplace.
The risk has paid off in surprising ways. “It almost changed everything—from leaving poverty to building my career path, shaping my mindset, and giving me vision,” said Cambodia alum Rany Pholly. “They taught me to be mature, to have long-term vision, and to reach my goals.” Family hardship meant only one of the four children could get an education, while the rest dropped out to support Pholly. Now Pholly can support them.
The career path comes with its share of bumps, and not all who join DDD succeed. Maintaining a grueling schedule of work and school for modest wages requires a level of sacrifice. Heading into the future, alumni are asking how DDD might do more to support their transition from DDD work to opportunities outside the organization.
