International Youth Day. Let’s be brave.

In celebration of International Youth Day, Sok Phalyka looks at how BBC Media Action’s new radio programme in Cambodia is helping improve young people’s job prospects.

Ever since I was very young (I’m now 23), I’ve had a love for film, TV and radio. Hollywood blockbusters are my guilty pleasure and I’ll listen to music on the radio for hours on end. So when I first started thinking about a career, I naturally wanted to follow my passions by studying media at university. But, my parents wouldn’t support my decision – Cambodia has had a difficult history with journalist safety – they were afraid for my welfare.

Working in media

Fortunately, I developed good negotiation and research skills during my schooling. These tools would help convince my parents that ‘working in media’ was a diverse, respectable (and now safe) line of work – and not just the territory of traditional news journalism. After much discussion they were finally happy for me to follow my dreams and enroll into a media degree at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

Unlike many other young people in my position, I was lucky to have learnt these skills. Lack of career advice and confidence can limit young people’s chance to make a case to their families (and potential employees) about their future. I’ve always asked myself, ‘How can I help other young Cambodians facing the same problems as I once had?’ Fortunately, through my job as radio manager for Klahan9 (meaning Brave9), a new youth employment radio programme, I’m in a position to help.

Brave

Klahan9 is a youth-led, weekly radio programme aiming to improve the employment prospects of young people in Cambodia. Through call-ins, drama, live events, gameshows and interviews with experts, Klahan9 provides young people with advice ranging from training opportunities, job hunting and CV writing to interview skills, workplace safety and employee rights.

With this information, Klahan9 is helping young people make better, bolder and most of all, braver decisions in pursuit of their dreams.

Happy International Youth Day!

Related links

Read more about Klahan9
Read more about our work in Cambodia
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Go back to the BBC Media Action website