Mother-of-four Leang Ey moved to Phnom Penh five years ago in search of better economic and education opportunities for her family. Originally from Kandal Province – a southeastern province, bordering Phnom Penh – Leang struggled to make a living as without owning any land and without an education herself, there were few opportunities.

Under the Khmer Rouge regime, Leang was taken out of school at just 10 years old and forced to work the rice paddies with her siblings. Sadly, she never learned how to read or write and describes her illiteracy as a kind of disability that held her back in life leaving her dependent on the guidance of others: “I felt blind, I was always asking for help” she explains.

In a poor urban settlement in Phnom Penh’s Stung Meanchey district, Leang found a home for her family and a job selling religious offerings and preparing food for religious occasions. Approximately three years ago, while preparing food for an event, she was badly burned when the gas canister she was using exploded.  “I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move, I thought I was passing away” she says, reflecting on the incident. “I had no money but my neighbours gave me enough so I could go to hospital and spend a few days there”.

Today, the accident has had lasting effects. Leang has permanent scarring on her skin, her hands no longer have the dexterity they had before and her vision is permanently impaired, leaving her with little to no employment opportunities. The accident has also taken its toll on her mental health whereby even just being around somebody cooking or gas fills her with fear and anxiety. However, little by little, she is working on building back her self confidence and strength and this has been in no small part down to learning how to read and write.

Leang’s 11-year-old daughter Dani*, currently a grade 4 student in ISF’s Education Programme, has not only been helping her mother with household chores but also helping her to practice her reading and sharing her schoolbooks. Last year, when picking up her monthly food parcel from ISF, Leang was introduced to ISF’s Adult Literacy Course by ISF’s social workers. It immediately piqued her interest and when she returned home, she dropped into ISF’s community library to learn more from the librarian who was quick to sign her up.

Studying every Sunday for 2 hours per week along with other members of the community from similar socio-economic backgrounds, Leang found hope and excitement in the books she was picking up. To supplement the weekly classes and build her skills, Leang regularly visited the community library and after just one year, she now reads stories aloud to others rather than only listening which had always been the case. Having the library in the centre of the community has been essential for her development. In poor communities, books are a luxury that most cannot afford: “without the library I wouldn’t be able to access books – I don’t have enough money to buy a book” Leang explains.

ISF’s Adult Literacy Course has left Leang with a thirst for more knowledge and she’s eager to build her skills and join more courses, proving that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. When asked what her dream for the future is, Leang says she’s already achieved it – she’s no longer blind – she can read and write. However, she has big dreams for her daughter, the youngest and only one of her four children to go to school: “I want her to receive the education that my generation never got and to graduate school and find a good job – education and knowledge will offer her a better life”.

*Name of children under 18 have been changed.

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