Vantha Chea
Vantha Chea comes to Room to Read with 27 years of experience in the development sector and 20 years of working directly in Cambodia’s education reform. As the country director of Room to Read in Cambodia, he is responsible for the strategic leadership and direction of the country's programs, focusing on literacy for primary education, gender equality and girls’ education for secondary education. Before joining Room to Read, Vantha was the director of the Advocacy and Policy Institute in Cambodia, where he oversaw strategic planning and program execution, fundraising, and social accountability advocacy. Previously, Vantha worked for Voluntary Service Overseas for nearly two decades in a range of executive positions, including senior education program manager and country director.
In his former career, Vantha oversaw all technical and operational aspects of the programs and complex, donor-funded education projects. He also has more than a decade of experience coordinating between the Ministry of Education of Cambodia, civil society organizations, and important stakeholders. Vantha is passionate about education and has strong personal convictions about the education of children, particularly girls.