The Cambodia Rural School Project
The Overlake School
Mr. So Vey is the director of the Overlake School. He is 54 years old.
| On himself:
|
I used to be a soldier and fight against the government until I lost my left leg. I lost it in 1987, from a landmine. Then I became a teacher. I taught in Democratic Kampuchea [area still under Khmer Rouge influence] until 1997. When the former Khmer Rouge areas were all integrated into the government, I became a school director. I have been a school director for seven years. For the time being I am also teaching first grade. My wife is a farmer. We have two sons and two daughters. One son and one daughter go to school here.
|
| On the new building:
|
I am so glad this new school is different from our old one. I used to teach students under my house. Back then there we also had a lot of students, but the old school was not big enough for all of them. So some students studied here, some at another school, and some under my house. When the donor came and built this school, I was very happy. I remember when the donors visited, and gave out pencils, rulers, and pen-case, ten soccerballs, and one volleyball. I met with one of the donors personally, who gave me a personal gift.
When we got the new school a bridge was finally built so that students could cross the river safely. The river runs right by the school, and anybody living on the other side of it would have to wade across it. Whenever it flooded, some of the children couldn’t come to school. In the past, especially during the rainy season, a few children drowned trying to cross it on their way to school. Now that we have the new school, all the students have a school that’s near, and they no longer need to go far away in order to study. |
