SUCCESS STORIES  

Yarei Pich

Yarei was born in 1989 without limbs. His father died when Yarei was 12, and his mother died 2 years later. Following the death of his parents, his 3 siblings went to live with different relatives, but they meet up during holidays.

People have told Yarei that there is no point in him getting an education, as nobody is going to give him a job anyway. Many have also told him that he must have been a criminal in a previous life to deserve his disability. Yarei himself feels that the truth is very different. He thinks he may have been born without limbs as a result of his mother having used the wrong medications during her pregnancy.

Yarei remembers an incident a few years ago, when an aunt took him to the Phnom Penh Water Festival. She left him alone for a few minutes to go and buy him a drink, but by the time she had got back he had been arrested by the police, who were getting rid of beggars in the city during the festival. Yarei spent the night in jail. He was 13 at the time.

Yarei started LaValla Primary School in 2003. In 2006 he started Junior High, moving to Villa Maria.

School is sometimes tough. Some buildings and toilets are not accessible, and some teachers are known to pay more attention to richer students, who can then go to them for private tuition — a lucrative business in Cambodia.

Yarei however refuses to give up. He wants to become an accountant and a role model for people with disabilities. Thanks to the support of many, such as the Stichting Liliane Fonds, this might become a reality, and he is looking forward to the future with optimism.

Rithy Hul

Rithy is one of the most talented carvers at Yodifee and also one of the teachers for our young trainees learning the trade.

He has been working at Yodifee for almost 2 years now. Before that he used to do some part time carving work from home. But finding work was sometimes difficult.

Rithy has a growth disorder which means he has stayed the size of a small boy, even though he is 37 years old. As well as this he cannot move his legs and so he is wheelchair bound.

Even though Rithy is so talented, he has had to face discrimination in the past. Many people have failed to believe in his capabilities, simply because they cannot overlook his disabilities. This is an unfortunate reality that so many people with disabilities face, and was one of the reasons why Rithy found difficulty in finding work before he joined Yodifee. Another problem that he used to face was that in order to travel anywhere, he had to be carried, and that meant having to pay someone.

Since joining Yodifee however, Rithy’s life has changed. He is very happy and thankful for the opportunity that Yodifee has given him. In fact, his talents are now so well recognised that he has had actually turned down offers to work with other organisations because he is so happy here.

Rithy is a very popular character around Yodifee and whilst admitting that because of his disabilities sometimes he may have to struggle, he also proclaims that he will face whatever obstacle comes his way.