Winds of change in the air as more Cambodians take pride in using riel

Winds of change in the air as more Cambodians take pride in using riel

THE younger generation of Cambodia is now starting to have a sense of pride in their national currency, the riel. It is evident through frequent visits from students and youngsters to the Sosoro Museum.

Sosoro Museum Co-Director Blaise Kilian told Khmer Times that the museum recently saw young people, including students from schools and colleges, pouring in to learn about their national currency’s history. They have been increasingly using riel instead of appearing “cool” in using the dollar.

“It is a gratifying feeling to see the youth to have a sense of pride in the riel, once almost diminished physically and devalued. Thanks to a highly interactive and modern currency museum put together by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), we now have young people wanting to learn and know more about their currency and its value to them.

“It is very rewarding to see Cambodian youth showing interest in Cambodia’s monetary history, particularly in the national currency that was once wholly suppressed. It is also because the museum provides an extensive overview of Cambodia’s entire history, showing the relationships between the economy, society, politics and money over the past 2,000 years.

“The National Bank of Cambodia was visionary enough to create a museum with a state-of-the-art museography that includes resolutely modern and interactive features. It has made the museum quite attractive to the new generation who is, therefore, willing to come and discover what SOSORO has to offer,” he said when contacted.

He said it is positive to note young Cambodians voluntarily and spontaneously walk into the museum, wanting to know more about their country’s currency.

According to Blaise, since November last year, thousands of youth and students alike have been turning up at the museum, a reflection of the success of NBC’s part in inculcating a sense of pride in the riel, especially among the younger generation.

He said so far, schools and institutions of higher learning such as CamEd, NUM international college, The American University of Phnom Penh (AUPP), the Institute of Finance and Accounting and the ITC have also been organising field trips and group visits to the museum. It provides an opportunity for the youngsters to experience the interactive “learning process” of monetary history.

With its modern interior, the museum is equipped with videos, games, and interactive touch screens guaranteed to provide the public with entertainment and knowledge.

Visitors are invited to put into context what they have learned, enabling them to understand the rules and mechanisms and the crucial importance of money in building the country’s independence and sovereignty. Khmer Times