On October 23, 2015, Wanpen Khamboonma, her 76-year-old grandmother and her aunt, were very excited because her sponsor and family from France will visit her village.

Wanpen, 15, is a student of Secondary level 3 in Sap Muang Widhaya School. She has been one of the Enfants du Mekong’s sponsorship recipient since she was a student in Ban Thai Samakki Primary School, Kho-Khlan Subdistrict, Tapraya District, Sakaew Province. When COERR staff, Enfants du Mekong volunteer and the sponsoring family, a couple with 2 daughters, arrived at Wanpen’s house, it was the moment of happiness, full of joy and laughter. The sponsors gave Wanpen a gift – a bicycle for her to ride to school and around her village. Wanpen also gave her painting to her sponsors who told that Wanpen’s painting would be framed and hanged on the wall of her office. Wanpen has won several awards for her paintings. Her former school, Ban Thai Samakki, is very famous as many of their students, including Wanpen, have painting talent and win many awards each year.

Wanpen is one of the 140 scholars, in Sakaew and Surin Provinces who receive subsistence allowance under EDM sponsorship program that has enabled them to better cope with their education expenses in 2015.

Wanpen and her new bicycle provided by the sponsor family

Enfants du Mekong and COERR also visited other scholars: This scholar girl with painting talent, lives with her relatives’ family, helping them with household chores and farm work

Some scholars live in tents and huts without wall, some live with the relatives having young children.