Coffee isn’t just a drink: Cheahang’s story
When you think of the aromatic smell of freshly roasted beans, your first thought is probably a cozy café or a warm brew sitting on your kitchen counter waiting to cool down. But to us at Rabbit School, coffee isn't just a drink. It's a life transformed for one of our beloved students. In the hot summer morning of Phnom Penh, Cheahang, an 18-year-old young man, commutes from home to school all by himself on his e-bike, independently. Cheahang, like many other students at RSO, has Down syndrome. His family started to notice a difference when he was developing more slowly than his peers at his previous school. After a doctor recommended RSO, his family decided to send him to Rabbit School Organization. When he first joined, his teacher described him as handful, and a shy child, but over the past four years, Mr. Sea Savang notes, “He’s improved a lot with his social and self-help abilities. He’s much more independent now. He’s now able to join and interact with others at any event, workshop, or gathering alongside everyone. He’s also now able to commute to and from school entirely on his own.” Cheahang is a very sweet, soft-spoken young man who always has his high-five ready. His smile and sweet greeting light up our mornings. His father shared, “After my son joined Rabbit School, I saw his improvement a lot. He has become more polite, he communicates better with us, and he has learned to take responsibility.” At home, Cheahang runs his own micro-café with the support of his family and RSO. After analyzing his skills, we found that coffee making was the most suitable skill for him. Though a slow learner, he tries his absolute best to learn, write, read, and count. His neighbors are huge fans, and his business is slowly growing. As his father said, “I feel very happy now that my son has his own future. My wife and I no longer worry about him depending on us as we get older; he will be able to support himself.” Cheahang’s success shows that when community, family, and partners come together, we can create life-changing opportunities. But there are still many more students waiting for their chance. RSO is actively seeking support, raising awareness, and advocating for equal education, inclusive employment, and an end to discrimination. Supporting RSO means providing a future for children and youth with intellectual disabilities and autism, giving them the opportunity to see that they can be just like everyone else. Thank you for your unconditional support over these past months. If you ever have the chance to visit RSO, don't forget to check out Cheahang's café, not far from the school: a small stall right in front of his house, hard to miss once you get to his home area. With gratitude, The Rabbit School