Testimonail

HOPE GLOBAL Organization

AUSTRALY

For the past 3 years our organisation, Hope Global, have used the services of Abraham and the team from KKC. Initially Abraham responded to an advertisement we placed seeking translation services and we were so pleased with his work, his professionalism and service that we continue to employ his services each year. The team at KKC have translated our English Teaching manuals into Khmer (some of these have been very lengthy) and then arranged for those manuals to be printed for us in both English and Khmer. Additional Abraham and the team have provided translation services at our conference, very capably translating our English speaking into Khmer as we run training session.  Last year we also used Abraham as a guest speaker at our conference to talk about his business and being a leader in his community.  As an organisation running teaching conferences in Cambodia we aim to run high quality training; using Abraham and the team’s services, we have ensured that the training we deliver is first rate.  I highly recommend Abraham for all translation and administration services.

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Anja Nieveler

Communications Consultant

GERMANY

In my role as communications consultant for various NGOs, I had the pleasure to work with Abraham twice. The first time for a report for Oxfam and the second time for WWF's Annual Report. Abraham was fast, reliable and familiarized himself with the subject and terminology beyond the expectation of my clients. For everyone who is looking for a great translator, I can only recommend him!

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Kelly Engebritson

Missionary to Cambodia

U.S.A

Kaun Khmer is owned and operated by Abraham (Ten Sophal). As a private tutor, he has helped my wife and I in learning the Khmer (Cambodian) language and understanding the Khmer culture. Abraham is friendly, patient and gentle with beginners as we experience the shock of the largest alphabet in the world, sounds that do not normally exist in the English language, and the minor differences in pronunciation that are almost imperceptible at first.

I have had Abraham translate many documents for me, including an entire training book in Biblical Evangelism. He is very faithful to deliver the translated documents on time to meet a realistic deadline.

Abraham is very skilled at translating documents from English to Khmer that require a specific understanding of the common words used in Business, Medical and Christian topics.

Additionally, he is now offering video services, such as creating Khmer subtitles and voice-overs for English training videos or popular movies.

Most importantly, Abraham’s high level of integrity is refreshing. If you have had much experience looking for a dependable, trustworthy person in Cambodia to do professional work, you will understand the great value of Abraham as a person and as a businessman.

In summary, I heartily recommend Abraham and Khaun Khmer for any tutoring, translation or video services that you may need in Cambodia.

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Kim Shumlansky Anne Strehlow Jennifer Trataris We have been taking Khmer lessons from Abraham for the past four months and would highly  recommend  his teaching services.  Abraham has faithfully shown up for each class and is always prepared to  pick up where our previous lesson concluded. While his lessons follow a published Khmer book,  he is flexible to the pace and interests of our group.  He comes with building block vocabulary  cards and grammar explanations.  He also sends us audio links so we can practice at home  what we have been learning that week. He also encourages individualized homework, if interested.  Besides being reliable and flexible, Abraham is a very patient man.  The three of us often laugh  at our terrible pronunciation or funny grammar mistakes. Abraham is very easy-going.    He smiles and jokes with us and allows us the time to have fun during our lessons.   Finally, Abraham also weaves a bit of the Cambodian culture into his lessons with us.  He explains the shortcuts of the language that are actually spoken on the street, sometimes linking   these shortcuts to his own opinion and experience of how Khmer people think, eat, view the world, etc.  Abraham has a been a wonderful teacher and has also given us some insight into Khmer culture so  that we are better prepared to speak and live in it. We would highly recommend his language classes.    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Libby HR Mentor I have been learning Khmer with Abraham for nine months. About a month ago I went from just learning to  speak Khmer to learning the script so that I can read as well. I have found Abraham to be encouraging,  clear in his explanations and flexible in responding to what I want and directions I want to take.  Lessons with Abraham are more than just learning Khmer; he is willing to share his views on  Khmer culture and contemporary situations. He will happily explain things from a Khmer context.  He is also quick to share a laugh and have some fun. He is a ready conversationalist who is always  seeking to improve his own methods and explore new opportunities. If you are looking for more than just rote learning and want to understand what you are learning,  Abraham is the teacher that you need.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alyssa and Stephanie We have been studying with Abraham for one and a half months.  This course not only provides  students with the language, but also teaches about the Khmer culture.  We enjoy the style of teaching  that Abraham provides with pictures and memory games.  We feel that we have learned a lot  in the last month and a half and look forward to learning more!  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ashley McCarthy  I have really enjoyed my language lessons with Abraham.  His method of using memory cards is excellent  and really helps with retaining new vocabulary.  His manner is engaging and his knowledge of English  and grammar is very helpful when understanding sentence structure.  I would recommend him to anyone. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Abraham Ten Sophal. I was born at the Konsoum Ork Village, KompongTrabeik district, Prey Veng province. I grew up with three sisters and five brothers and my parents are farmers.

I have been disabled since I was born. I still remember what happened to me when I was around 5 to 6 years old. I could not walk. I used my knees to move from one place to another place. At that time I felt that nobody cared about me or loved me except my father because he had always carried me everywhere and he always took care of me. But, the love that he gave to me did not last long for me. When I was eight years old he went to work in Phnom Penh one day and never came home. He died at night in his sleep. 

Two years later, my mom married another man. After he married my mother he stopped working and stayed at home and drank a lot of alcohol. When he got drunk he always beat my mother and sometime he beat me. He was always violent with the family when he was drunk. My family collapsed into a bad situation. When my father was alive we had enough money to live, but since my mother remarried we were poor and were often in debt. After that my two older brothers and sisters stopped studying and they all went to work in Phnom Penh as construction workers. 

At 10 years of age I went into primary school in grade 1. I was a clever student in my class and my teacher and friends always admired me. I was always a top student. My older brothers and sisters always encouraged me to continue to study until I could finish high school but my stepfather didn't want me to study because he thought that it wasted time. He always said “why do you go to school? You are just a handicapped person. Nobody will offer you a job. It is wasting time.” Also some people in my village said “You should become a beggar and go beg for money”. I was very angry and I kept in my heart that I wouldn't be a beggar but I didn't know what my future would be like. I had no hope, no direction.

To be able to go to school I had to learn to ride a bicycle. With my disability this was a long slow and very painful process in which I fell off many times and had a lot of injuries. When I studied at secondary school (grade 7, 8, 9) my family financial situation was not good. Sometimes we only had porridge to eat. My mother and stepfather asked me to stop studying but because I loved learning very much I decided to continue to study even though I didn't have any money and I ate only one meal a day. I studied very hard during these years and passed my year 9 exam so I went onto high school (grade 10, 11, 12).

 In 2001 while in grade 11, I joined the youth club with my friend from school to get a sponsor to study English ($2 per month). At that time, I did not know it was a church. I went there twice a week for youth club. A few weeks later, the youth leader invited me to join the Sunday meeting. When I went to the Sunday meeting I realised it was a Christian church. I asked my friend to go there again because I wondered why people believed another religion. My friend could only go once on Sunday because his father was not happy about this church.  I still kept going until I learnt more and understood more. One day the pastor asked me, “Do you want to believe in Jesus?” I did not know how to answer this so I just said “yes”. The first month of my new life with Jesus I observed the pastor’s life. I saw his family and it was totally different from mine. I started to learn from him and learned God’s truth by believing in His creation. I hoped God would make my life better. I started to realize that my life was more meaningful and I had hope for the future.

In 2002, I finished high school. My family could not support me to study at university in Phnom Penh so I stayed at home to look after my younger brothers. I went to church every Sunday and started helping the church. I also started to learn more English by reading the New King James Bible in both Khmer and English as I had learnt some basic English at school. I prayed God would help me with my higher education and with hope I believed I would be in university in one day.

In 2004, I had a problem with my older brother as he hit me a lot and spoke harshly because I believed in Jesus. I did not know what to do in that situation so I decided to leave home without having any direction. I remembered the bible said in Genesis 12:1-3 “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; and I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” I really didn't know, what I was going to do so I prayed for God to help me  study at university, however now that I had to leave my home, where is my answer? Abraham gets out of his home because God calls him. I believed God would have a plan for me so that why He allowed this thing to happen to me. I believed where ever I went God would be with me and help me through any situation. Where ever I go Jesus is the one that paves the way for me. Deuteronomy 31: 6 says “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” When I left my home miracles started happening in my life. I went to visit my uncle in another province. I got to know the leader of the church in my uncle's village and we chatted with each other. She shared with me her christian life and I also told her my story and my problems. She told me she needed a teacher to teach children and I told her I could do it. At that time I could speak only a little bit of English however I taught Khmer and English to the children in the village. I stayed with this lady almost one year and I got to know the other pastor. He was so kind. He taught me the Word of God and tried to help me go to study at bible college. One month later I went to a bible college in the Sihanauk Village through him. During this time a second miracle happened to me, a foreigner gave me almost $75.

One day while I was at the local hospital having my leg splints repaired I helped a stranger who was needing some directions find where he was wanting to go. After I left him I was negotiating a motorbike to return to my bible college which took a while. Then I met him again and as we talked he realized I was a christian and he simply handed me $75.   I used that money to travel to Phnom Penh to apply for a scholarship to study at university. Finally, I got a scholarship from World Vision Cambodia which was specially designated for people with disabilities.

In 2005, I studied at university and I majored in Economics. Then God answered my prayer. While I was studing in university I was contacted by one of the pastors in Malaysia, Paul Smith. He is the man that God sent to help my life become better and better. After finishing my first year at university my pastor brought me to Malaysia to study the bible and also to work as an editor of movie subtitles for four months. When I came back from Malaysia I continued to study at university until I finished my bachelor degree in 2010. From 2010 - 2011 I completed an English diploma because I wanted to continue to study my Masters degree in Business. In 2012 I completed two semesters of my Masters degree in Business and I postponed my education for one year. I plan to go back to university in 2014. 

Throughout all my education I have worked for three organizations. First I worked as a church administrator. I did all administrative and accounting work in the daycare and church, and I was also a translator. Second I worked in the orphanage as an administrator and youth coordinator. I did all the administrative work, made good liaisons with other NGOs and government, taught many subjects to the orphanage children, dealt with conflicts among the children and staff, and helped youth in the village get a sponsor to study at university. Third I worked as a program coordinator and prepared reports to the donor and also visited the project field.  

It was whilst I was working in the orphanage in 2009 that I met Sreyrohm who has since become my wife. She was working as a childcare assistant and made crafts to raise funds for the orphanage. You can read her amazing testimony on the site. We have been blessed with a beautiful son, David.

My vision, I want to be a pastor. It has been my passion since I became a Christian on the 16th July 2001 and still is my passion. I also want to be a business man because I believe business can help my family and ministry financially. Through this I also can help many people who need help.