Deaf – Page 14 – Welcome to Cambodia, and…..

Meeting Day 2

While Sophy was representing DDP at the UN Human Rights training session in Phnom Penh (yesterday’s post), three others of our staff went to Kampong Cham Province with UNDP to meet with the governor’s office.

Mr. Song Sit from the United Nations Development Program spoke to the group about building up the deaf community in Kampong Cham Province.

Mr. Vanna spoke more about the program as Sreynuch interpreted into Cambodian Sign Language.

Working in small groups was an especially important part of the program because the Kampong Cham deaf group has developed to where they are having substantive discussions.

Another positive development displayed at the meeting was the ability and willingness of deaf persons to speak up for a point of view

Meeting Day

Today was a significant meeting day for the Deaf Development Programme. We were invited to attend a training organized by the UN Human Rights office in Phnom Penh, and we were requested to meet with UNDP and the governor’s office in Kampong Cham Province.

Here Sophy (with the microphone), part of our DDP management team, answers questions about deaf people’s access to the judicial system at the UN Human Rights training in Phnom Penh.

Musica Felice (October)

Twice a year, Musica Felice, a musical and choral group founded and directed by Ms. Miwako Fujiwara, presents benefit concerts at the Sofitel, a 5-star hotel in Phnom Penh. This October performance benefited the Deaf Development Programme.

We arrived early and it gave our students some time to explore and look around the lobby of the grand ballroom. For almost all of them, it was their first experience in a five-star hotel.

We had reserved seats at the front where the deaf people had good visibility, and when we gathered at our seats, Miwako came over to welcome us!

The grand ballroom just before the lights dimmed for the opening.

At the intermission Miwako had arranged for each of the students to get a croissant or other pastry.

This concert didn’t have the videos and visual effects of some previous performances, but in the second half, featuring music from *Les Miserables*, the singers wore costumes and staged some of the settings for the lyrics.

At the end all our students marched up to the stage as part of a finale, and then they gathered for photos with the cast and with Miwako. The deaf students really couldn’t enjoy the music but it was a real learning experience for them.

Getting ready….

On Sunday, Musica Felice will have a charity concert at the Sofitel Hotel in Phnom Penh to benefit the Deaf Development Programme. Our deaf students will have a walk-on role at the end and today our teachers handed out T-shirts they will wear. Our special thanks to Ms. Miwako Fujiwara, the organizer of Musica Felice, who also provided the shirts!

Pchum Ben at DDP-2

After the monks gave their Buddhist blessing, Fr. Charlie had a Catholic blessing, showing that both traditions seek blessings but that the Catholic tradition prays to God to be with us and bless us.

Pchum Ben at DDP

All Souls Day, a commemoration of deceased family and friends, is celebrated on November 2nd in Christianity. The Buddhist equivalent is a two-week long celebration called Pchum Ben. It is a major festival and everyone goes to her or his home village to be with family.

After the Buddhist blessing, Fr. Charlie had a Christian blessing, then we took the above group photo, and then all the staff and students ate a simple meal together before the students left DDP to spend nine days at home with their families.

A Concert Is Coming….

Today Ms. Miwako Fujiwara came to DDP to talk with our students about the next Musica Felice concert to be held. It will benefit DDP and Miwako would like to involve some of the deaf people in parts of the production.

Deaf Week

Friday

The activity for Friday of Deaf Week was making shirts with handprints, signatures, greetings, etc. Here Julie Lawler and I sign the shirts of two students

After making the shirts, the students saw some sign language videos, had some chocolate to drink, and then played some games.