SUCCESS STORIES  

Name: Mit Vey ( First name is Vey)
Sex: Male, DoB: 1983
Disability: Birth Congenital

My name is Mit Vey and I am 27 years old. I was born disabled with feeling and movement in my left leg and foot only. All my other limbs are present but have no feeling, movement or strength. My mother Naheang who cared for me and looked after me so well, died, perhaps of breast cancer seventeen years ago, so my grandmother Seavna brought me up since I was ten.

We were a poor family that lived in Pungnhealeu village in Kandal province. Kandal province borders on Vietnam. My father left my mother for another woman. Being disabled was difficult as I had no way of moving around except if someone carried me, so much of the time in the village I was just sitting in the mud playing by myself. We were fortunate to have living in our village a foreign couple who brought my condition to the attention of Mr. Colin Mc Lennan from the NGO Rehab Craft Cambodia who helped me obtain a wheelchair and when the NGO Rehab Craft Cambodia visited my village they offered me the chance to go to Phnom Penh, which I accepted. This then led to an opportunity to go to school! Going to school was wonderful until it came to writing! I was so frustrated with trying to write with my good left foot, holding the pen in my toes that I soon decided through my tears that I would never be able to write! Only with my teacher’s constant encouragement I persevered and slowly learnt to write and now I can even type on a laptop. At Rehab Craft Cambodia I met Brothers Terry, Darryl, Claude and Alex, three Marist Brothers, who not only guided me through my early years of elementary schooling but in the La Valla boarding school fed and clothed me. Being confined to a wheelchair without the use of arms or legs means that I had great difficulty even going to the toilet and washing myself. Then over the years I developed terrible deep bedsore ulcers on my bottom which needed daily dressing by the Brothers.

After I completed Grade 6 at La Valla School I went to High School in Takmao travelling each day with the other students from La Valla. I received good support from Liliane Fonds, the Netherlands for my school and needs. I made good progress and found my favorite subject was communication (in Khmer). I wished to continue my studies after High School in Communications. I commenced at Newton Thilay Institute but the stairs were too difficult for me so I moved to IIC university until I found Western university which is built all on one level which gave me easy access to my classrooms. While I have studied at university I was able to board at the Yodifee Hostel in Phnom Penh. I have just this year completed my studies in Communication and now I have a good command of English language.

After so many years of education I got now a good paid job that I use my English language skills and work for the betterment of disadvantaged people either in education or in business. I am an English teacher at LaValla School, a primary school for handicapped children and young people.

My hobby is breeding and raising chickens and I would like to manage a chicken or egg production farm.

While at La Valla School I met my future wife, my beautiful Yong Sokrim who whilst having a deformed foot is much more mobile than I am as Sokrim can walk freely. We married in 2007 and now have two beautiful children; a daughter, Larita, one and a half and recently a son, Masa who is just three months. They live with their mother and grandparents in Dong Provin village in the Batti district, Takeo province while I am completing my studies in Phnom Penh.

My big advantage is being fluent in both English and Khmer languages. My greatest disadvantage is travelling to work as I only have one good leg and it must do everything including propelling my wheelchair. My lovely children are my pride and joy and it is for their future that I continue to work hard that will make best use of my education.

Thanks to Liliane Fonds for providing the greatness of my future.

Mit Vey