meet Vanny - a 18 years old and speaks well youth

"Although I cannot see everything, I can be a good model youth. I have more friends and my neighbors are appreciative of my efforts."

Kry Vanny, aged 18, has been blind since birth. He lives in Prek Cham village, Prek Thmey commune, Koh Thom district in Kandal province. Visually impaired since was born, Vanny often felt depressed and disappointed with his life. He lives in a very poor family with his parents and three brothers and is not able to get the same nourishment as other children. 

Vanny loves studying and wants to attend school but is unable to do so because his family is poor and there are no schools for the blind. He lives with illiteracy and depression and was often bullied as a young boy.   

After Vanny started receiving support from CDMD, he and his family discovered a better way of living. CDMD encouraged him to have more interaction with other people and oriented him on daily living, health care, doing work inside and outside the home, feeding animals, taking care of plants and using his walking cane. CDMD also provided non-interest grants for his family so they could buy animals and pumping machine for watering crop as well as coordinating with NGO partners to find a school for the blind so he could study. This support changed his life and Vanny is now happy and very appreciative of the CDMD project.

Vanny is a valuable resource for his family. He can help his parents work and he works hard himself. He is friendly, kind, has good manners and speaks well. His neighbors love him and see him as a good example for others.