Denis Le Gall: "Put yourself first, keep dreaming and never give up"

You may know Denis, Chandara Students' Home's Operation Director, who was in charge of helping us accessing Higher Education and living in Phnom Penh in the best conditions. I had the opportunity to ask him few questions after his 3 years spent in the Kingdom of Wonder, when he came back to France. Get to know more about his experience in Happy Chandara and his life in Cambodia!

Can you introduce yourself?

I’m Denis, 40 years old, I come from Rennes, in France. I worked for Happy Chandara as a Project Manager: I was supervising the construction and the decoration of our buildings, like the boarding school in Prek Thmey, or the foyers in Sen Sok and Boeung Tompun. I also had to coordinate and to ensure the accomplishment of Chandara Students' Homes' objectives, related to Higher Education. I had to cooperate with a multitude of partners, in favor of the renovation and modernization of pedagogical means within the schools.

Why did you decide to work for Happy Chandara?

Working for an NGO is quite different from working in a private company, which really focus on financial goals. NGOs are more into individuals, about partnerships, about collaborative mindsets to achieve their goals. My mission was to find the best ways to make students successful in their life, which was really interesting and made me really love my job. And I like working in a team, with new people.

What do you like about Cambodia?

Mostly, I really like Cambodian people. They always smile and are friendly when we meet each other, which is the opposite from French people! And the weather is quite nice. I terms of food, the Khmer one is a bit spicy for me, so I usually go to foreign restaurants, there are plenty in the city. I have such great souvenirs living in this country, and I hope I’ll come back one day with my family. If my friends would ask me about the best country to visit for holidays in Southeast Asia, Cambodia would be the first choice to come up in my mind. 

Do you have any advice for us, the young generation?

The most important thing is to put yourself first, keep dreaming and never give up in your life. 

Thank you Denis, for everything. We miss you!