Deaf Week–Day 1

This week the Caritas Deaf Development Programme is celebrating Deaf Week, along with deaf people around the world. Our big celebration will be next Sunday but we started today with an informal gathering at a location of Amazon Coffee which hires deaf baristas. The four participating branches each have two deaf people in the morning shift and two in the afternoon shift. This was an enjoyable way to start deaf week!

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A Different Look

This is the hall at St. Jude Thaddeus School we use for mass on Saturday night. This photo was on Sunday morning when the hall had been transformed into the site for the foundation day celebration for the school.

Farewell, Brother Tony….

A group of laity and church people, continuing a Maryknoll tradition of gathering every Wednesday, get together every week for liturgy and a meal together. Today was the last day that Bro. Tony Burrows (3rd left) will be with us. He returns to work in Australia on Friday.

Lots of wires

One photo target of many tourists to Phnom Penh is the mass of overhead wires above the city streets–and on the sidewalks, as in this photo. There are hundreds of wires stretching along almost every thoroughfare–and probably half of them are dead. New wires go up constantly. Old wires are rarely taken down. They’re removed only when they break and dangle in the streets. Notice the scars on the tree where limbs were amputated to make room for wires rather than running the wires in a less obtrusive fashion.

Funding Process

Today Mr. Sim Kuytry came to DDP to talk with our management team about a partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID has asked VBNK, a local NGO, to identify and then screen NGOs and agencies that could have partnerships with USAID that could lead to funding. Kuytry was with us for three hours but it was a very engaging conversation and very positive.

Cambodia houses 3

One characteristic of houses in the cities in Cambodia is that all the windows and doors are barred. On the left above is my front door. On top is the kitchen. The lower right corner is in my bedroom. None of the window bars or grills open. If there is a fire and the door is blocked, it’s bad news for the room occupants.

Post-Maryknoll

For almost thirty years, the Maryknoll INGO met every Wednesday. Now that Maryknoll Cambodia is no longer operating in Cambodia, some of those who used to meet continue to do so.

Gathered today for mass and a dinner were Maria, Beth, Julie, and Kila. Good people.