In 1999, Sophya Chum had joined Asian Pacific Islanders for Reproductive Health at the age of 15 as a member for the group’s HOPE (Health, Opportunity, Problem Solving, Empowerment) Project. Soon, HOPE Project members realized that they wanted to specifically address issues of concern to their community of young, Cambodian women, and formed a youth advocacy group called Khmer Girls in Action (KGA). Sophya was involved in the initial phases of developing KGA and participated in its Young Women’s Justice Program, which focused on political awareness training, political skill-building, cultural programming, and self-expression. First an intern, Sophya is now a KGA staff member and facilitator of one of the youth leadership program. Working directly with working class, Southeast Asian high school girls in Long Beach, California, Sophya helps KGA’s members foster positive self-images, feminist principles, health, well-being, sisterhood and community awareness to organize and create change.

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