Organisation

We believe education is the most sustainable way out of poverty. Our mission is to give talented Cambodian young people, for whom further education is financially out of reach, the chance to study and earn their diploma.

What started as support for a single student has grown into a foundation that has now awarded 45 scholarships to 42 young people.

During a backpacking trip through Cambodia in 2003, Gijs and Eva were immediately struck by the country and its people. The impact of the war was still felt in many places. What made an even greater impression was the resilience and determination of the people they met.

They returned several times to volunteer, and it was there that they met Suzanne Kok. Together they discovered something that stayed with them: there was relatively strong attention and support for young children, but far fewer opportunities for young people who had finished secondary school and wanted to continue studying.

Yet it was precisely these young people who were often hugely motivated, talented and eager to broaden their prospects, but who simply lacked the financial means to pursue further education.

That is where the idea for Chance2Study was born. In 2010, Eva, Gijs and Suzanne founded the foundation with a simple goal: giving motivated young people the chance to keep learning. Through a scholarship, we help them complete a course of further education so that they can go on to build their own future.

We now work closely with several local partner organisations in Cambodia. They know the local situation well and help us find, select and support students.

We also work together with various universities and educational institutions. They keep us informed about our students' attendance and academic results, so we stay involved with the young people we support and know what our contribution achieves.