“It is only 700m to my school, but it takes me almost an hour to get there,” said 12-year-old Ny a first-grade student at Muslims Language school in the Chhluong District.
Ny is a bright, energetic boy. Like his peers he likes to play and go to school. But at the age of 9 months, he fell ill and suffered a seizure.
Ny’s grandmother, 64-year-old Teyas said: “My grandson was just like any other child until he was about nine months old. He had a fever and he needed to stay at the hospital for about three months. After that experience, he could not walk properly.”
After the seizure, he lost mobility and sensation in his feet. As he grew up, he became used to using his knees to get around his home and his village. Sometimes there are sharp rocks or objects on the ground which can make walking painful, and he can become injured. This also makes his clothes dirty and means he wears through them faster.
Chhai Ny and his family.
Despite the difficulty he has moving around, he isn’t deterred and is determined to go to school. “He wants to go to school and learn. No one forces him to do that,” said his grandmother.
“I like studying because I want to learn and have the same opportunities that other children my age have. At school, I can also meet and play with my friends,” said Ny. At his school he learns Arabicandlearns more about the cultural practices.
Ny relies heavily on the support of his family to move around and is particularly reliant on his uncle. He wants to be more independent, but his limited mobility makes this challenging.
ChildFund Cambodia recently donated a three-wheeled bicycle. Speaking with a smile on his face, he said: “I am so happy to receive the three-wheel bicycle, which I never thought would be built for someone like me who lives with a disability.”
“I was happy when my Ny got this bicycle. My grandson has wanted this for a long time, but with our income, we just couldn’t afford it,” said his grandmother.
“Now that I have this bicycle, I can go to school by myself, ride around the village, and be able to play with friends. My grandmother and aunt will have more time to generate income and worry less about how I will get around,” said Ny.
Every child has the right to an education. With the bicycle and this support from ChildFund, Ny is more independent, can get to school faster and easier and have fun playing with his friends.
A newly built primary school in a remote community in Cambodia, is bringing hope for a brighter future to the children that live there.
For children and young people in remote parts of the country, travelling to school isn’t always easy. In one village in the Province, the closest school is about six kilometres away, and requires driving down a rocky, muddy road to the foot of the mountain.
Neamchea and his family have lived in this village for generations – a village where just 30 per cent of the 72 households in the village have been able to send their children to school.
Sitting next to his six-year-old grandson, he said, “Most locals who are farmers could neither afford to have suitable vehicles nor the spare time to take their children to school.”
Den, aged six.
Because of these challenges, many children and young people here haven’t been able to access a formal education. But with support from ChildFund Cambodia, this is changing.
Working with a local partner Khmer NGO for Education, (KHEN), a new school was built on the top of the mountain, right in the middle of the community so that all children and young people could attend. Together, we recruited and trained local volunteer teachers and supported them to become state recognised teachers.
Building a school in such a mountainous, remote area was a challenge. Moving equipment up and down the poor roads meant that the construction took longer than usual.
In the construction process, local authorities had to work together to remove any remaining mines that might be buried in the community to make sure children and staff would be safe.
“Now most of the residents can send their children to school because they don’t have to spend time driving their kids to the base of the mountain. They can simply let them walk to school, just like I can with my grandson,” said Neamchea.
Neamchea’s grandson, Den, said: “Me and my classmates prefer to attend the new school since it is near our home and has more color than the previous one. Compared to the old school, the new school is closer. I enjoy it.”
Neamchea says that Den will have an exciting future now that he can access an education and hopes he will be able to have a good job one day. “This new school will brighten the future of my grandson and all the children in the village.”
