Twenty years ago Pov qualified as a teacher. Ten years ago Pheung Pov joined SeeBeyondBorders. Today Pov becomes SeeBeyondBorders’ first Managing Director. This is a milestone for Pov, for SeeBeyondBorders and for Cambodian education.
“As Managing Director, Pov will be a critical member of the Senior Leadership Team. He takes responsibility for our Cambodian management, operations and activities. Pov will work in pursuit of our mission to “provide access to quality teaching and learning at school”. On the Senior Leadership Team, Pov is joined by Blung Phath (Country Manager), Lok Taing Im (Child Protection and Compliance Manager) and Colm Byrne (CEO International Operations).
“Our vision is to create a generation empowered by education, and Pov leads by example on this. He strives to enhance fairness, inclusivity, safety and quality teaching and learning. He adds so much value to Cambodian education and will allow us to put the community of practice into action.”
Pov's Story
Pov was born in 1982 and grew up in Banteay Srey in rural Siem Reap. He is the eldest in his family with two brothers and one sister. Pov was the first person from his District to complete secondary school, benefitting from the sacrifices his parents made to secure a quality education for their eldest son. In 2003 Pov qualified as a teacher and he joined SeeBeyondBorders in 2013. Pov was appointed Country Manager of SeeBeyondBorders in 2017. Last year Pov became the first person from Siem Reap to secure an Irish Aid Fellowship and completed a Master in Education from Mary Immaculate College, Ireland.
“After these years of work and academic experiences, I am getting even more passionate about improving education in Cambodia. The experiences have also transformed my views on teachers’ identity. I am excited to continue the work with our fantastic colleagues and partners to enhance teaching and learning for Cambodian children.”
New Horizons for SeeBeyondBorders:
Pov’s appointment heralds a new era for SeeBeyondBorders. It demonstrates a practical commitment to strengthening local leadership, to achieving the ‘de-colonisation of aid’ and to establishing a local NGO. Soon our organisation will begin work in 20 new schools in Siem Reap, establishing two Communities of Practice. The Communities of Practice will serve as a catalyst to bring together teachers and school leaders to sustainably drive the improvement of teaching and learning in schools through evidence-based projects. Our work in Battambang Province will continue as we target investment in people, partnerships and technology to drive change. Next year our work will directly benefit over 5,000 children and we will work with the Ministry and other NGOs to cascade our impact.
Last Sunday Pov and fifteen SeeBeyondBorders colleagues took part in ‘Run for Cambodian Education’ around the Angkor Temples to raise funds for SeeBeyondBorders. You can still donate to this cause and Pov’s run here.
“Pov’s ethos reflects our entire organisational ethos – a focus on quality and substance over superficial cosmetic change. He brings passion, logic and perseverance. That is a magic combination of qualities to bring to the role of Managing Director.”
