Profoundly Inspiring Visit to LaValla School, Cambodia

My journey from central Phnom Penh to LaValla School in Takhmau south of the city, was the usual chaotic, stop – start, exhaust filled experience I have come to appreciate as normal here in the short time since I arrived in Cambodia. It’s a chaos that works and has me make a mental note never to complain about traffic in Scotland again – I know that won’t last.

LaValla School is an initiative of the Marist Brothers of Australia, set up 25 years ago to offer education to children experiencing physical disabilities. Brothers Tony and Brian generously gave of their time, helping me understand how the school operates and the philosophy that drives all that they do.

My experience of being at LaValla School was a truly moving one. I found Tony and Brian really inspiring - dedicating themselves tirelessly to helping each young person find and realise their potential. This is a place filled with a contagious spirit of hope, promise and possibility.

I learned so much – how the Buddhist philosophy can generally be perceived as a compassionate one, and often is. However, a belief in reincarnation, aligned with certain perceptions of disability, means some see disability as deserving Karma for some less-well-lived previous existence. Disability for many families creates feelings of shame and consequently, some children can find themselves hidden from the local community for fear of the possible humiliation and distress that may descend upon the family. Obviously, this has major limitations for any such child, their education and their development as well as any prospects for future possibilities and employment opportunities.

This thankfully, is such a significant contrast to what the children experience in this truly amazing school. Here, the children are not defined by their perceived limiting disability but rather, they are defined by their abundance of capability and possibility. This is a place where a child can arrive self-consciously hiding a disabled hand from the sight of strangers, to within a short period of time and with care-free abandon, enjoying an environment where everyone is encouraged to explore what they CAN do rather than remain limited by what they can’t. Contributing to this attitude of what can be achieved, I learned about the surgeons who visit from Spain during their vacation time to volunteer their unique professional services to provide significantly life changing operations for students who would otherwise remain untreated - compassion and generosity for sure.

The impact on how disability is experienced and perceived here is remarkably powerful. When the vast majority possess disability, there is a ‘normalising’ effect, meaning individual conditions somehow fade more to the background. This means - the who of a child - becomes more foreground and results in children being seen simply as children. Curiously, this makes disability far less visible than in general. This ‘normalising’ effect is further compounded by the fact that teaching staff themselves here have disabilities, providing students everyday inspiration that limitations can be overcome and that the aspiration to be a meaningful contributor to society is within everyone’s reach. This is another important and motivating signal never to be bounded by narrow or limiting messages and beliefs.

Meeting the children was an absolute delight! I was struck most of all, by their smiles. This isn’t just a school, it’s a place where children get to be at home and are tenderly accepted for who they are. This is a place of love and much genuine affection and the children demonstrated this in great measure by the way they are with each other, the staff and with me. Many were curious to engage with me, wanting to know my name and eager to tell me theirs. With limited shared language, the conversation often stopped there but the sense of welcome, openness and acceptance, left a lasting impact on me. I had a profound sense that what these children had received at LaValla, they were freely giving me and everyone else they encountered.

At Kinharvie, our mission is to co-create an abundance of life giving spaces where people realise their potential. If ever there was a place that best demonstrated what such as space is, LaValla School is it.