Written by Kimsan An, Program Support Coordinator from KHEN and member from WWD-Lan  

Translated by Saophorn Phoeng, Learning, Linking, and Amplifier Officer for Voice Cambodia

My name is An Kimsan, female. I have been living without both of my arms since I was born. I was born on December 18, 1981 in Svay Chrum village, Prek Norin commune, Ek Phnom district, Battambang province, and have been living there since. I came from a very poor family, together with an older brother and a younger sister. My father’s name is Khut Chat (a farmer, died in January 2023 ), and my mother’s name is Sor Cheav Lorn (a market vendor). My parents did not send me to school, thinking that my disability would prevent me from learning and writing.  

Every morning, I saw the neighborhood children walking to school. Seeing them, I longed to join the classes but didn’t dare to ask my parents for permission. One day, when I was six years old, I went to school secretly with my friends without informing my parents. Fortunately, the teacher, who was my neighbor, allowed me to attend kindergarten along with other students at the Prek Norin Primary School.  

After taking classes for a while, my parents found out that I went to school. They were very happy to see that I could study like the other children. They bought me a bag and books. But I had to wear the same clothes between being at home and​ being at school as could not afford to have more. Before going to school, my siblings and I ate leftover rice and food from the previous night’s dinner. My parents had to get up at 4 o’clock to sell items at the market and they did not have time to prepare breakfast for us.  

From grades 2 to 5, I struggled with poor health and was frequently hospitalised for pulmonary edema. Each hospital stay lasted between two weeks to one month and occured twice a year. My mother could not go to sell things at the market because she had to take care of me at the hospital, which exacerbated our poor living condition. There was a time when we didn’t even have porridge to eat. Because of my frequent sickness and absence for quite some time, I lagged behind others and had to repeat classes. But I never thought of dropping out because I love learning, and I always dreamed of higher education and a job to help lift my family out of hardships.  

In late 1994, I was promoted to study at the Prek Norin Secondary School, and in 1997, I passed the exam and continued my studies at the Ek Phnom High School. Every day, I rode my bicycle to school and crossed the Sangke River by boat with other friends because the school was located on the other side of the river. At the time, the road was hardly accessible during the rainy season because it was slippery and muddy. And when the water level rose too much, it was difficult to cross the stream by boat. I had to get up early, prepare the meals, bring them to school​, and some of my classmates brought their meals to school too, so we can share and eat together. 

In 2000, I passed the high school exam. I was discouraged when my family could not afford to send me university, but on the other hand, the school was far away from home and I could not find a job. Instead, I took English classes at Svay Chrum Pagoda with the monks.  

In 2001, I was fortunate to take short computer training courses at the Battambang Provincial Training Center. I learned about Windows, and how to use MS Word, MS Excel, MS Publisher, and MS PowerPoint. The distance from my home to school was nine kilometers. I rode with my friend, Im Sangoeurm, who came to pick me up every day until we completed the courses. Upon completion, my teacher told me, “Kimsan! When I first saw you, I thought you could not learn computer because you did not have hands for typing.” He made a lot of effort to train me until I completed the courses successfully.   

Despite my efforts, I still could not find a job. Then I learned to print invitation letters through my brother and opened up a small business. Unfortunately, it didn’t do well because of the rural location.   

But on June 15, 2014, I had the chance to pass the entrance test to work at Digital Divide Data (DDD) in Battambang Province, receiving an initial monthly allowance of USD 60. At the time, I was very happy because I realised my dream. DDD provided scholarships for its staff, covering 50% of the school fees at the university.  I asked the organisation to deduct the remaining 50% of my salary and I continued the English course at COERR School.  

In 2008, I completed my bachelor’s program, majoring in General Management, at the University of Battambang.  

In June 2012, I was unemployed because DDD had to move to Phnom Penh.  

In January 2013, I joined Komar Ney Kdey Sangkhoeum (KNKS), assuming responsibilities for data entry and management. In 2014, KNKS closed its Battambang operation and moved to Pursat. As a result, the remaining workforce, which included me, joined hands in setting up a new organisation, known as Khmer NGO for Education (KHEN). We hosted the Women with Disability Leadership, Advocacy and Network (WWD-LAN), which continued to implement the remaining activities in Samloth and Rukhakiri districts and other rundown areas in Battambang province. KHEN was officially registered on April 13, 2015, with the Ministry of Interior. I continued to work with KHEN, assuming the role of Program Support Coordinator.   

During this period, I frequently took short courses and joined seminars of partner organisations and other organisations to further enhance my capacities.  

In January 2018, I took a three-week short course on how to monitor the provision of physical convenience for people with disabilities and disability-related policies at the University of Malaysia. I have applied the lessons learned from the course to my job. 

In 2019, I received a 50% scholarship to pursue a two-year master’s degree in Educational Management from the Battambang provincial branch of the Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University. 

In mid-2018, I became a member of the Voice-funded project of WWD LAN. After becoming a member, I gained more understanding, learned more from other members, and learned how to work with them. I was not only a member, but I also took the lead in carrying out activities to help empower women in the group to have the courage to go out and see world, dare to seek support and learn suitable skills to enhance one’s talents.  

“I am very proud of myself because I was able to achieve my dream from a young age. But our dreams always change, so I am still trying to pursue my dreams. Therefore, we must all have our dreams. To realise our dreams, we must have goals and a clear plan, continue to strengthen our capacity, and find opportunities for ourselves and other ways to make our dreams come true.” 

 

Moreover, I have contributed to helping children, children with disabilities, and young people living in target districts to have access to education from kindergarten onwards. My team and I at KHEN are happy and we enjoy working in remote communities because when we visit there, we always see their smiles which gives us the strength to keep going and helping them.

I have been where I am today because of self-support, working hard, hope, and support from others such as my parents, relatives, neighbors, friends, teachers, and colleagues, This gives me strength to go forward.  

“I never gave up on myself. What drove me to where I am today is knowledge because knowledge represents a strong bridge for us to cross to a better future.”

My mother said, “Had I not allowed her to go to school, her future would have been different. But I had made the right decision by sending her to school.”