Category: Deaf

People and activities in the Cambodian deaf world

A New Adventure

The Caritas Deaf Development Programme offers two years of really basic education and then a year of job training. New this year is the opportunity to learn baking and beauty skills with the Korean Mission Society (KOMISO). Today three of our students left the hostel at DDP to move to the KOMISO training center on the other side of town. They were a little anxious because this is the first time our deaf students have gone to live in a training center run by hearing people. It will be a learning experience for us all.

KOMISO Bakery Training

KOMISO is a project of the Korean Mission Society in Cambodia, a Catholic mission group from Korea like Maryknoll is from the United States. KOMISO offers vocational training to poor, under educated young people, offering three skills: motorcycle repair, baking, and beauty salon work. We have been discussing with them the acceptance of deaf students for training.

Our students are interested in the beauty work and baking. Last week I visited the KOMISO training center and met the trainees and the Korean couple (rear) who are teaching the baking.

On that day the training was on creating the different types of figures that are placed on top of cakes. It was amazing to see the craftsmanship that goes into the decorative figures. Three of our deaf graduates are interested in the baking.

All the students live at the training center while they go through the six-month courses. In addition to the technical skills they learn, they also have one hour a day in character development, to teach them good values.

I am anxious for our students to start training there.

Graduation Day

Today was graduation day for our Year 2 Education Project students and our Job Training Project trainees. It was a joyful experience.

I was the opening act after we sang the national anthem in sign language. I welcomed the parents and thanked them for supporting their deaf daughters and sons in getting an education at the Deaf Development Programme. These young people have great economic value for dirt-poor families in the rural provinces and many parents will not allow their children to come to us.
Then I told the young people I am proud of them and was happy to have had them with us, and that was especially true for this delightful group.

DLTP Training

The Deaf Leadership Training Program now going on at DDP has invited deaf leaders from other countries to share with the DLTP team their wisdom and experience with national associations of the deaf. This week Tien (far left), a deaf leader from Vietnam, came to work with our staff.

Deaf Leadership Training

At the Caritas Deaf Development Programme, we have leadership training going on as a preliminary step to establishing a national association of the deaf.

Today our DLTP team met with Mariah (C) from the Philippines. She is a leader in their national deaf association and helped our group understand the differences and commonalities of deaf associations around the world.

DLTP Meeting

This week the Deaf Leadership Training Program had an all-day meeting to finalize a concept paper or proposal to be sent to be considered for funding by the Finnish Association of the Deaf. Here the Cambodian staff members of the training team and the management of DDP discuss whether to approve or not the draft version of the proposal.

Student Experience

After a carcinoma was removed from my right forearm, I needed to change the bandage every two days and it was almost impossible with just one hand. Today I asked some of the deaf students to help.

Primarily I just wanted to give them a new experience since they would not be exposed much to this type of wound. There is no Cambodian sign for cancer so I just signed there was a problem in my arm and then explained the steps of biopsy, excision, bandaging, removal of the stitches, etc. They would probably not also have a chance to see the actual stitches in someone’s arm.
Another reason for asking them to help was to affirm them. Deaf people in Cambodia are looked down upon and mostly ignored. These young people have never even talked to their own parents because their families do not know sign language. They can get the impression that they are useless, a burden on the family, and without value. Letting them help me and my thanking them gives them a sense that they are good and can do good things and people will appreciate them.