No Child Turned Away: 29 Years and Still Going Strong

In the warmth of summer, children roamed the campus of the Rabbit School Organization. Some were in their classrooms playing with desk mates, some were out on the playground, some were at the school canteen, while others silently read in the corners of their classrooms.

As you made your way along the hallway, with children chasing each other past you, you would definitely hear a very loud, commanding voice you couldn’t mistake for anyone else’s: ‘Slow down, kids!’

With bright pinkish-purple lipstick, tanned skin, brown hair with a few gray spots, and a slightly chubby figure walking down the hallway, Mrs. Nhem Navy has been teaching at the Rabbit School Organization since 1998—almost 29 years and still going strong.

'When I first joined Rabbit School, there was just me, Mr. Hun Touch (Founder and Former Director of RSO), and a few other teachers who came to teach at RSO,' Mrs. Navy remarked.

Mrs. Navy has been teaching at RSO since the beginning. She shared that back then, RSO was just a small part of a state-owned orphanage. She noticed how children with disabilities were outcasted by society: no school, no classroom, and no teacher was willing to welcome them. Not only was there severe discrimination toward these children, but there were also very few teachers specialized in inclusive education in Cambodia. She felt deep empathy for them, felt incredibly sorry for their situation, and has chosen to stay with RSO ever since.

'Back then, I witnessed firsthand how those children were being treated. People labeled them as idiots, crazy, and defective. Some even claimed our students were cursed and feared this curse might infect their own children. It was horrifying,' she shared, recalling the memory of Rabbit School's first integrated classroom in a public school.

Even she, as a teacher, wasn’t spared from those prejudices. She received backlash from people saying things like, 'Teachers who teach those crazy kids must be crazy, too.' She recalls how people wouldn't even dare lay a hand on the teachers or the students. They stood back, hands on their hips, looking them up and down with total disgust.

Despite all of this, she still chose to stay at RSO, dedicating her heart and soul to teaching children with intellectual disabilities and autism.

'I said to myself, I have to pass down these hard-earned skills to the next generation. I hold all this knowledge, and I give it away freely to young teachers so they can stand strong like I do, equipped to protect and teach future generations. This is my whole heart and soul. Rabbit School is my first home. I refuse to leave,' she said as she started to choke up, tears rolling down her face.

Mrs. Navy has given nearly 29 years of her life to RSO. She went through hardships, ups and downs, and the toughest journeys alongside the school.

'My deepest wish is for teachers to never stop fighting to find new ways to teach, creating paths for these children to master core life skills. Even if they don’t learn like typical kids, they can learn to speak, connect, and belong. I want to see them walk freely in society like anyone else,' she said.

She dreams of seeing Rabbit School grow, building enough classrooms so no more children are turned away. There are still so many children with disabilities waiting for their chance, but the school lacks the room to accommodate them.

'Rabbit School is a place where forgotten children learn to blossom. If you want to change the lives of these children with intellectual disabilities and autism, our doors are open,'