Country staff

Sith Sam Ath joined The Fred Hollows Foundation in 2002. He is responsible for managing all aspects of The Foundation's program in Cambodia, including overall strategic direction, project development, implementation and evaluation.  

Sam Ath works closely with The Foundation's Sydney-based programs team and with local partners, including the Cambodian Ministry of Health and the National Program for Eye Health.

Like too many of his fellow Cambodians, Sith Sam Ath has experienced much turmoil in his life. As a result of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in the 1970s, ten members of his family died. Sam Ath and his mother were the only survivors in his family.

As the manager of the Cambodia-Australia Cataract Blindness Prevention Program, a major priority for Sam Ath is to develop relationships with partners at national, provincial, district and village levels. 

Prior to joining The Foundation, Sam Ath worked with several local non-profit organisations in Cambodia, including the Institute of Social Research and Training Services. He has worked as a consultant for various development organisations, including the World Bank, Care International, the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation (SIDA).  

Sam Ath holds a Bachelor of Khmer Arts Literature, a Bachelor of Anthropology, a Masters of Public Health and Hygiene, and has worked previously as a journalist.