About Us
Painting of Tith by ex-student Phyra Morn.
In 2006, Lyn in her retirement years made a special journey to Cambodia with her eldest daughter Alex. It was Lyn’s first visit to South East Asia and she was deeply moved by her encounters of extreme poverty, and the desperate circumstances so many people found themselves unavoidably part of.
A life changing experience came when Lyn and Alex, by chance met Tith Tek, a young Cambodian Village man. Tith could always be found reading under a dim street light outside the Himawari Hotel in Phnom Penh. He worked long hours as a moto taxi driver supporting his family back in the village, and saving money to fulfil his dream of furthering his education.
During their first meeting, conversations flowed freely between Tith, Lyn and Alex, and a trusted friendship unfolded. Tith spoke honestly of his life and dreams. He told of his family’s chilling experiences through the very dark days of the Khmer Rouge times, resulting in the almost complete destruction of the entire educated class of the Khmer people. He shared his dream of becoming a teacher, and of his hope to help heal the past by offering a better future through education to the next generation of Khmer village children.
Such was their connection that a few days later Tith invited Lyn and her daughter to visit his family in the village. Tith’s family were generous hosts, openly sharing their culture, over a simple, shared Khmer meal, with Tith translating energised conversations.
The impact that visit had on Lyn and Alex resulted in a return visit a few days later, and a request from them, for a meeting with Khut Khan, the village chief, and the commune leaders. With Tith interpreting, Lyn asked what they felt were the community’s greatest needs. The unanimous decision was not for the great needs of access to more water, electricity or improved sanitation, but for educational opportunities for their children. Tith spoke sincerely of his belief that education was the greatest catalyst for changing lives.
Those discussions with the Tanop Village community had a great impact on Lyn. On returning home to Australia, she decided she would do whatever it took to help this impoverished, rural Cambodian village community reach out for life changes; life changes through access to improved educational opportunities for their children.
In 2009, Lyn founded the Singing Kites Organisation with the Tanop Community Education Centre (TCEC) being the project of that Australian entity. Tith was appointed as the Cambodian director.
Lyn travelled to Cambodia over the following years collaborating closely with the Tanop team of teachers and the wider community. The school grew, and expanded to allow children from surrounding villages to attend. Tith’s dream of providing a quality education to rural children was realised.
The Tanop Community Education Centre (TCEC) flourished. Due it its success, 14 years later, in 2023, the running of the school was fully handed over to Tith.
Today, the Tanop Community Education Centre (TCEC) is a registered charity organization with the Cambodian Ministry of Interior, and is meticulously run by the village team of remarkable, original Cambodian educators, who have been there since the first day TCEC opened it’s doors.
Lyn still visits, fundraises and offers support and guidance to Tith and his team. After all they are her Cambodian family now.