My Storybanana and bread, before my tuk-tuk
would arrive promptly at 7.30am to
take me to The Laneway School.
I taught English and craft five
days a week at the two schools.
The Laneway School was made
up of basic classrooms that Koy
had repurposed from abandoned
bamboo-thatched huts. The Train
Track School, set just metres back
from a train track, was a makeshift
hut that Koy had turned into a usable
learning space. Regardless of how
basic these schools are, the English
classes were an instant hit.I recall one student warmly
greeting me with, “Welcome
today!” as he played soccer on a
nearby dirt block of land. They
told me how thankful they were to
avoid biking for 45 minutes on the
congested, potholed road to their old
government school where teachers
may not be present or may ask for
money which they don’t have.
The Laneway School has grown
from just two classes and 45 students
four years ago, to now having 12
classes with up to 30 students in each
room. Thanks to donations, another
classroomhasbeenrented 100
metresdownthelaneway.Mostof
theteacherssupervisetwogrades.
Witha beatonanoldtyrerim,
studentswouldcomerunningFlower artwork made by Judith’s young students in CambodiaPHOTOS COURTESY OF JUDITH BOND
Judith Bond has visited eight countries
over the years working as a volunteer
teacher. Married for 50 years, she has four
adult children and five grandchildren.13