Phoutsamay Khammanixay or May, 13-year girl, from a poor family in Lamam District, Sekong, ranked as one of the poorest provinces in Laos. She lives with her mother and 5 siblings. Her father passed away in 2011 and he was once only the breadwinner of her family. After that, May’s family has been facing an even worst situation as her mother is uneducated and unable to find work to earn enough income to support the family.

Due to the limited income and in order for the family to survive, her elder sister had to drop out school to help her mother work as low pay unskilled labor to earn more income to support May and her siblings in basic needs such as food as well as education.



May now attends Phonkham School. May’s mother tells her many times to leave school and help work and earn for the family like her elder sister does, but later, she realizes that if May is not educated, her future will be bleak and the family will be unable to overcome poverty. 

With the conditions they are facing, May decided to apply for EDF-Internationl scholarship support for the coming school year 2014 in order to help release her mother's burden in supporting her education. May is very hard working. She does house chores everyday before going to school and after school, and take care of her younger siblings. During the weekends, she works in the paddy field to help her family earn income. In school, she is a good student and does well in all subjects. She is very determined.