How do you make a difference? The answer lies in having the heart and desire to help other people.
Cambodia is a truly magical place for me. I met many amazing people who are assets for Cambodia. Each of them is a pioneer in their sector and has made profound contributions to improving the lives of Cambodians. I may need many pages to write about them.
What I love about them is that each of them has their own goal and mission, yet they work together to help Cambodia develop. And for them, it’s not just a job or business but an investment in society.
One of them is Mr. Thomith Chin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Founder of iDEN Agency, and President of International Youth for a Better World (IYfaBW). Mr. Thomith is a person who wants to make a change in the community. He believes that youth need to be well educated, skilled, and confident to get the best job in the world.
Thomith Chin almost gave up on education due to his poverty and single mother. In Cambodia, he often couldn’t afford a monk’s one-dollar monthly English class. Breakfast and lunch were routinely traded for part-time class fees.
To pay for classes, he skipped one or both. He made it through high school and graduated in 2012. He wanted to go to college, but he couldn’t because he needed to work to support his family. In 2014, he moved to Providence, RI, with his mother and younger sister.
Starting over in a country so far from home, family, and friends wasn’t easy. Thomith had to work on an assembly line in a factory in Uxbridge, MA, while he took English as a second language classes at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI). In 2017, he graduated with the highest honor and an Associate’s degree in Business. Thomith holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Virginia (UVA).
About Thomith Chin’s initiative, International Youth for a Better World (IYfaBW)
IYfaBW is a non-profit organization that collaborates with local communities to train the next generation of leaders and people who want to make an impact. IYfaBW’s goal is to become the most important international organization mostly run by young leaders, and to work with every country in the world to help them build a more fair and prosperous society.
IYfaBW change-makers are committed to improving the world and resolving the issues that affect their communities. The IYfaBW professional development program helps in the growth of their advocacy, entrepreneurial, leadership, and life skills.
IYfaBW has more than 80 people working as volunteers to empower youth in Cambodia. When Thomith Chin talks about how he started this great organization and what the future holds, his eyes sparkle. His life experiences, dedication, knowledge, and ambitions made him a true leader and unsung hero of Cambodia.
“Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky. They are people who say: This is my community, and it’s my responsibility to make it better.” – Tom McCall
