A 19 year-old disabled girl received donations to continue her studies

Miss Kort Srey received donations from Mr. Van Bunthoeun from Koh Santepheap, who brought the gifts on behalf of the donors.

Koh Santepheap newspaper
25th March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

A disabled orphaned girl from Trapeang Chlonh village, Nho commune in Kampong Ro district of Svay Rieng province had discontinued her study because she was too poor.

19 year-old paraplegic Kort Srey had always wanted to study and will never allow anything, not even her disability, to get in her way. But poverty had taken over her destiny and this is the only thing that can get in her way.

She missed her year 9 exam, and therefore disqualified for a junior high school certificate, because she cannot afford to travel to sit for an exam at her school, 5.5 kilometres away from her home, because her wheelchair was broken and she had no money to repair it. She said that she wish to continue her study at least until year 12 and beyond.

After her plight was published by Koh Santepheap, VI, an NGO that originally provided her with the wheelchair, offered to repair the wheelchair free of charge.

Mr. Puth Samoeun, president of Vi NGO for Kampong Ro district, said that his NGO will strive to help disabled people as much as it can to help them to survive independently.

On top of this, generous people from Cambodia and the United States had donated approximately $US300 in cash as well as textbooks, notebooks, pens, pencil and a Khmer dictionary.

Miss Kor Srey told Koh Santepheap that she had become a paraplegic since she was a baby. She said that when her parents got divorced, both want custody of her. One day, they were fighting to get her under their custody. During the fight, her mother got hold of her legs while her father got hold of her hands and were trying to pull her to their side, tearing her apart. This tug-of-war between her parents caused her limbs to dislodge which caused her to become a paraplegic until today.

Now, with the generosity of the people whom she didn't even know, Miss Kor Srey is able to continue her studies. She wish to thank them all for their generosity.