ABOUT US

Khmerteens Project Founder(Jacky)

Jacky and brother in front his house at Kratie 1996

We born on earth with different country and different life situation, but we born as the same human life being in this world, everyone wish to have life comfortableness but in the whole life we face to different situation. Same Same but different! We would like to introduce the Khmerteens Project founder to everyone, His name is Sut Samphos nick named as Jacky. He born in January 3rd, 1981 in a very poor family in country side of Kratie province, Cambodia. His parents have 11 children and all of them are boys, He is the number 7. Unfortunately 6 of his brothers were died during and after the civil war of Pol Pot Regime. Cambodia was destroyed by civil war, Pol Pot controlled his power to lead Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 few millions of Cambodian and some foreigners were died by killing and lack of foods. Hospitals, schools, markets, banks and many others were destroyed. (Hope you know Pol Pot, please read more about Cambodia) His mother told him that, He born in the year of 1981, no hospital and no doctor in a small empty village, He born like a cow" nature born". Can you imagine how the difficulty if you live in a very poor family in the rural area without school, medical care, clean water and electricity? Yes, He met that life situation until he was 17 years old, but he tried to survive in a very hard life situation and until now. His parents can not fit all children for enough foods and education, therefore He decided to make his own destiny to live without home and started to work since he was 12 years old. Street boy life was a great experience for him and he would never forget it. He met many obstacles and dangers to live with a poverty life, study and working at the same time to support him self and family however he never forget to go to school. His mother lack of education, she attended school only a few years after France colony, she always keep telling " Samphos, however we meet poverty but you must go to school, only education will change your life" he run away from non educated place (his home town) to Phnom Penh in the main purpose of hunting for education. Life in Phnom Penh was not really easy at all for him in the year of 1999 but street boys life in Phnom Penh was better than his home town. He got a shelter in Pagoda then he got a job as a cleaner in the guesthouse and fortunately He met a gentlemen Eric Putzig from America provided him a better shelter, foods and Raiz Cheema and Anneli Jarnefelt from Sweden provided him a better life changed with education. What his mother told him was right, "Education change life" after he graduated from college then he got a better job in NGOs and companies. Life have been changed from street boy to be NGOs' staff then he made a better live from education. If he did not get support from them his life never change, education have brought him to the real dream and he know how the difficulty life is as living in the poverty situation and street life. Then he have a mission in his life that he wants all Cambodian street children get support like him to change life by education. In 2005 he decided to work for NGOs to support street children by providing them training skills, later on in 2007 he started his own project (Khmerteens Music Project) to support 11 street boys who interested to become musicians. He got a strong motivation and support from Raiz Cheema and Anneli Jarnefelt, Music Professor Svai Sor and Yang Pov  to start the project. What he has earned the knowledge in school by the great support then he has shared to the people who needs help. Until now all of the 11 boys get a better life to survive them self by playing music for life. He created supporting project by choosing Music because music make them the happiness, smile, fun and music can reduce the sadness and make friends from everywhere and make peace to their mind.

 

Khmerteens members who got support in Khmerteens Project. They become musicians today.

Khmerteens Members become musician and living with music, life changed by khmerteens project