“When LGBTQI+ people were represented, we often didn’t seem true to who we are,” she said.
That silence stayed with her.
Today, Panha is helping to create the kind of visibility he once sought. As co-founder of Sampi TV, a digital platform dedicated to LGBTQI+ storytelling and advocacy, she uses podcasts, documentaries and online tools to start conversations that many young Cambodians are still afraid to have.
“I wanted to be part of the change,” he said.
For Panha, storytelling is more than creating content. It’s about dignity, belonging and letting young people know they are not alone.
“Storytelling is a very powerful tool,” he said. “Social media shapes the way people understand the world. I believe we can use storytelling to stand up for what is right and support young people whose voices are not heard.”
Some of Sampi TV’s most powerful stories are also its quietest. In a documentary project, LGBTQI+ young people sat down with their parents (many of them for the first time) to talk openly about identity, fear and acceptance. The online response was overwhelming.
“People said they were relieved,” Panha recalled. “They were hoping that maybe one day their own parents would understand them too.”
The platform also created an anonymous Khmer-language chatbot where young people can safely ask questions about relationships, HIV prevention and sexual health – topics that remain deeply stigmatized in many communities.
“Some young people are too afraid to ask these questions publicly,” he said. “They’re worried about the trial. They’re worried about getting caught.”
What started as a small grassroots initiative quickly grew into something much bigger. Its first episodes spread quickly online, generating debate, curiosity and conversation on social networks.
People are finally talking
“Some people liked it, some didn’t,” Panha said. “But people finally started talking.”
Today, Sampi TV works with youth groups, volunteers and civil society organizations across Southeast Asia, including Laos and Myanmar, building spaces where LGBTQI+ young people can feel seen, heard and supported.
In 2025, Panha was selected as one of the SDG Young Leaders, a United Nations initiative that recognizes young changemakers who promote the Sustainable Development Goals. But for her the recognition is not personal.
“It’s about community,” he said. “The young people who have big dreams, but whose voices are often not heard. I hope I can be a messenger for them.”
Over the next two years, Panha hopes to expand Sampi TV’s reach across the region while continuing to advocate for inclusion, dignity and visibility.
“My goal,” he said, “is to make sure that storytelling and inclusion are not just words in speeches, but part of everyday life.”