Mentor recruitment started in early February when Thida met with eight former students - the only former secondary school student in the villages of T'Nong, Roun Kang Thbong, and Son Thai - to advertise the need.  Out of the eight young adults, four candidates applied.  And, of the four who applied, three were chosen. They include two men and one woman, all local Khmers who have completed their secondary education despite a range of obstacles they faced while studying. Thida interviewed each applicant with a rigorous set of questions and was searching for people who genuinely “wanted to help the younger generation;” all of the chosen applicants expressed this interest during their interviews.

The three community-based mentors will be responsible for checking in with sponsored students living in their village.  Through regular home visits, mentors will follow-up on students' school performance, attendance and family situations.  They will offer encouragement, provide advice, and refer students to special services as needed.  Thida will have regular communication with each of the mentors and will support them to support the students.   

Before any work gets started though, Thida will facilitate training sessions for the newly recruited mentors, introducing them to SCC, the Student Sponsorship Programme, their roles and responsibilities, best practices, and ultimately, the students.