For the 108 students of Sala Baï’s Intake 15, 20 July 2017, graduation day, marked the completion of an exceptional journey. They join the large family of around 1,500 Sala Baï graduates.
Less than a year before, on 5 September 2016, they have crossed the threshold of Sala Baï for the first time by committing to a professional training program. Their main motivations included the prospect of achieving financial autonomy and improving the living conditions of their families who live off less than $500 a year.
Over 11 months, the students of Intake 15 made a huge amount of progress in one of the school’s five disciplines: Restaurant, Cooking, Front Office, Housekeeping and Beauty Therapy. They alternated between theoretical classes (professional techniques, English, general knowledge and soft skills) and professional practice at the school or during internships in one of our 20 partner hotels.
But over and above the acquisition of skills, it is the changes that we see in each and every one of these young people that is so remarkable. Their faces radiate pride on this day of celebration, a day that is made even more special because for the first time they are surrounded by their families. Loyal as ever, the alumni generously helped with the organization of the ceremony by providing delicious food for all of the guests.
But over and above the acquisition of skills, it is the changes that we see in each and every one of these young people that is so remarkable. Their faces radiate pride on this day of celebration, a day that is made even more special because for the first time they are surrounded by their families. Loyal as ever, the alumni generously helped with the organization of the ceremony by providing delicious food for all of the guests.
Today, 100% of graduates find jobs within a month of graduating and they earn a monthly salary at the start of their careers that is three times their families’ average income. So students are able to help their families financially thus enabling their brothers and sisters to continue attending school.
There is no doubt that this day, which is highly symbolic, will remain in the minds of the 108 students from Intake 15. A celebration recognising what they have accomplished and their success, in the space of only one year!
The next day, the whole school set off for the beaches of Sihanoukville in the Kompong Som province (Southern Cambodia). This end-of-year outing, financed out of the tips collected in the training restaurant and hotel, provided the opportunity for many of the students to experience the seaside for the first time and to contemplate a new and infinite horizon, the horizon of all that is possible. We wish them well on their way!
