Since stepping into the technology sphere at the age of 15, Menghorng, who is now 18 years old, has become even more passionate about this sector in which there used to be so few women. Photo provided
PHNOM PENH – Not only is Kao Menghorng breaking through barriers into the male-dominated tech world, but she is also conquering it and representing Cambodia overseas.
Since stepping into the technology sphere at the age of 15, Menghorng, who is now 18 years old, has become even more passionate about this sector in which there used to be so few women.
Menghorng has become a prominent young woman in the field of technology. A native of Kampong Cham province, Menghorng has transformed through technology and developed a great many skills.
As a result of her involvement in this field, she has travelled as part of programs to numerous countries including Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand and United States.
“I am happy to represent rural girls,” she said during an interview. “I tried, committed and worked hard to get all those opportunities until I was able go abroad to represent the girls of Cambodia.”
Menghorng has become a prominent young woman in the field of technology. Photo provided
Menghorng is currently a first-year student in engineering, data science and artificial intelligence. She has so far launched two projects—Lady Teach and STE Munity—to help girls and young women in rural areas better understand technology and acquire skills so they can more easily pursue degrees after high school.
“Most of the 12th-grade students don’t know what they like, don’t know what they want to learn,” she said. “So our project is like a place, a community that helps them find out for themselves what they would like to study….We offer classes related to STEM skills…such as artificial intelligence skills, web design skills and so on.”
Menghorng developed her passion for technology when she was studying at the Hun Sen Peam Chikang High School in Kampong Cham province. Like other students, she didn’t have until then any knowledge of technology and was not thinking of stepping into such a sector.
Her journey changed when the program Technovation Girl Cambodia was conducted at her school. The program of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport was meant to make girls at school aware of the tech industry, coding and start-ups. “I started to be interested even though I didn’t exactly know what technology was,” she said. “I felt that I wanted to discover new things and learn new things: I was curious.”
Menghorng is currently a first-year student in engineering, data science and artificial intelligence. Photo provided
Through various programs, Menghorng acquired both soft skills such as problem solving and teamwork, and hard skills as in how to write codes and phone programs.
But it has not been an easy path, she said, adding that there were many challenges, one of them being her limited knowledge of English.
“I started from zero,” Menghorng said. “I didn’t have background knowledge or any basic idea of computer or technology. So, I had to spend more time searching, asking teachers or senior students about this.”
While taking more and more interest in technology, Menghorng also had to continue her formal education since the tech course is not part of the state-school curriculum. As a result, she said, “I am braver and more able to solve problems.
“Now, I don’t see a problem as a problem anymore,” she said. “I am looking for solutions to the problem. I see a problem as an opportunity.”
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this article was translated by Torn Chanritheara for Cambodianess.
