Ms. Nairong has become a well-recognized social inclusion hero in her local area of Kampong Cham. Her unwavering commitment to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities has already led to significant strides in implementing improved standards of equity for persons with disabilities in her local province. Let’s delve deeper into her remarkable journey.
Ms. Nairong’s roles include the Head of Office for the Provincial Department of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation (PoSVY), and the Head of the Provincial Disability Action Council (P-DAC) Secretariat. She is also the Deputy Director of the Persons with Disabilities Foundation (PWDF) Kampong Cham Branch. In her current role, she acts as a positive agent, empowering and ensuring that the voices of persons with disabilities are heard, and their vital inputs are considered during formation of social inclusion policies in Cambodia. She is a devoted advocate of the term “nothing about us, without us” and applies this mantra across all her work in Kampong Cham.
In her current role, she coordinates various efforts to mainstream disability inclusion across different sectors, amplifying the voices of persons with disabilities and ensuring their concerns are heard and addressed.
Ms. Nairong is also an avid learner. She actively participates in the latest social inclusion training programs, thereby enhancing her skills and knowledge in this space.
“Working to support persons with disabilities makes me feel proud when I see that they are satisfied with the result of our support,” Ms Nairong shared. She extends the acknowledgement to her previous and current managers, work colleagues, and her family for their on-going advice, opportunities, encouragement, and support that they have gifted.
ACCESS Phase 1 program has already made positive contributions towards supporting the implementation of the National Disability Strategic Plan (NDSP) in Cambodia. Although this phase concluded in September 2023, P-DAC members consistently drive and hence shape positive changes in the community. Regular meetings, work plans, and insightful reports continue to shape disability services that are now well-alive and continue to be relevant objectives of the existing ACCESS Phase 2 program.
The Australian Government through the ACCESS 2 program continues working with national and subnational level government and civil society, focusing on improving access to quality and inclusive services. Key program objectives are to justly empower and support persons with disabilities and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in Cambodia.
