Ms Khuon Sochunthea : CNVLD Women’s Wheelchair Basketball  Program Manager

Ms Khuon Sochunthea, known as “Tata”, came to the CNVLD when she voluntered as a commentator for the 2007 Phonon Penh WOVD Volleyball World Cup. Tata did an excellent job and continued to work as a volunteer on CNVLD activities in order to gain work experience until she became a full time staff member of the CNVLD in 2010.

Tata is the youngest in a family of 6 children and became infected with Polio at the age of 2 which has resulted in a severely deformed left leg. Tata can only walk by wearing a heavy, bulky and very uncomfortable orthotic device. With Polio victims, the muscles weaken rapidly once a Polio sufferer reaches late adolescence and many polio survivors unfortunately end up in a wheelchair when they simply don’t have the muscle strength or the will to attempt to walk anymore. Tata is exceptionally stubborn (and courageous) and refuses to get into a wheelchair; “I will walk for as long as I can” she says despite the obvious pain that she experiences each day.

“Tata”

“I will walk for as long as I can”

Cambodia, like so many nations, places great value of the physical beauty of a woman which makes life even more difficult for a woman afflicted by Polio.

Tata describes miserable years during her early schooling “I meet a lot of people that discriminate against me, they laugh at me and I am very sad and then feel so shy that I don’t want to go out anymore”. Despite the discrimination Tata continued with her studies having few friends and experiencing discrimination at school. Tata says “sometimes when I was walking people stared at me and they have even laughed at me”.

Tata then goes on to describe a moment of momentous change in her life “Then I meet the CNVLD and everything change. The CNVLD has made me strong and I am learning to become a leader. and now I have a lot of friends and people don’t discriminate against me like before”.

With training from the CNVLD  Tata has become a very effective leader of the CNVLD athletes including the day to day management of the Volleyball and wheelchair athletes. Tata doesn’t mince words and uses her new found strength to encourage other persons with a disability to stop feeling sorry for themselves and to get on with their life.

Above: Tata at work with CNVLD Volleyball athletes

Then Tata took a step that required enormous courage. In 2010, Tata recorded a song with Phnom Penh based band Krom including performing in a video where she not only showcases her ability but also walks on stage in the video where all viewers can clearly see that she is disabled.

Tata the Pop Star

The Krom video featuring Tata can be viewed on You Tube at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYDnJ

Tata is the first Cambodian person with a Disability to enter into the Cambodian entertainment industry and the krom video is shown on a regular basis on Cambodian TV and Tata is now a recognized Pop Star in Cambodia and she proudly shows the ability of Cambodians with a Disability through her performance.

In Tata’s words “Now I can show the world who I am.“

Tata will be responsible for the management of all aspects of the newly established CNVLD Wheelchair Basketball Program and the CNVLD is very confident in her ability to lead this program and be a role model for the women with a disability of Cambodia.

The CNVLD Cambodian Women’s Wheelchair Basketball program gratefully acknowledges the support of and assistance of Disability Sports and Recreation (Victoria, Australia), The CANADA Fund, International Red Cross and the Cambodian Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation

www.standupcambodia.net / www.2011volleyballworldcup.org / www.tobedeter-mined.org