Siem Hemvon
Siem Hemvon learned about Digital Divide Data from her aunt, who used to work there. Her family was very poor when she applied. She joined the three-month Base Training program covering computers, English, communication, and professionalism. Growing up in Kampong Speu province, she'd seen people with computer and English skills get good jobs, and she wanted to be like them. The first time she touched a computer was at DDD, and she says it felt like her dream came true. She now works as an accountant at a private airline company, having completed a master's degree.
Her biggest achievement, she says, was winning second place in DDD's public speaking competition. She then joined the debate club and other contests at school. "DDD gave me the bravery to step outside my comfort zone," she says. "I used to be afraid, with no self-confidence, not even daring to speak in front of people. But then I found myself standing on stage, competing." She's changed jobs three or four times since leaving DDD, applying those skills in every position. Without DDD, she guesses that she probably would have worked part-time in a coffee shop as a barista without professional skills or a clear career. What DDD gave her beyond skills was a changed mindset—she became more humanitarian, not only thinking about money or personal benefit. DDD still feels like home to her. What connects alumni, she says, is that they came from similar backgrounds and worked openly and supported each other like family, unlike the competitive outside world.
