A Long Way from Home

A Long Way from Home is the true story of a young Cambodian woman who has overcome poverty and hardship to become the first in her family to receive a college degree and the first in her village to receive a Master’s degree.

Despite coming from a challenging background where she had to help her family earn an income since she was eight, Saren excelled at school and earned full scholarships for her higher education. From a rural girl in a small village in Cambodia to a young woman who holds a Bachelor degree from Asian University for Women in Bangladesh, and two Master’s degrees from Brandeis University in USA, Saren proves to the world that any girl from any socio-economic background can achieve as much as any boy, if given the same opportunities and support.

She’s now an advocate for gender equality and has talked alongside former first ladies of the UK and Japan, Cherie Blair and Abe Akie. She’s paid back to society by providing mentorship to many girls in her country through her side project, Dare and Dream Cambodia.

Saren’s story shows that supporting girls to receive higher education means supporting the whole society; girls will thrive and contribute to making their community a better place for all.