Eleven-year-old Thret Ngh El has been learning to put designs on leather for a year and a half.

It's a skill that has given her hope for the future, something which her family can no longer provide because both of her parents are dead. 

Thret now lives at the Little Angels Orphanage in Cambodia’s Siem Reap Province, set up by Sirey Rattana in 2002.

And it was from Rattana that Thret and others like her learn the craft of leather-carving.

Speaking to Assignment Asia, Thret said, “I'm happy to be here, I am surrounded by and play with my friends. In the morning I learn Khmer, in the middle of the day I learn how to work with the leather, and I learn English in the evening.”

According to a recent UNICEF report, Cambodia has made significant progress in education.

More children are attending school in recent years, with primary school enrollment reaching 97 percent.

However, some children are still excluded from formal education, especially those from broken or impoverished rural families. And even if they have family members, these family members either aren't able to care for the child, or the child has to work in order to support the family.

These are the type of underprivileged children Rattana has helped over the years, though he has rules about accepting them.

Any child who wants to learn leather-carving skills must first agree to attend school; otherwise, he or she won’t be accepted.

Assignment Asia is CGTN’s award-winning current affairs program featuring long-form stories and documentaries on some of the most pressing issues in the region. The show airs at 1330 and 2130 GMT Saturdays, with replays at 0630 every Sunday, 0130 Monday, and 0530 Tuesday.