Category: Deaf

People and activities in the Cambodian deaf world

DDP Staff Meeting #1

Interpreting on the bus

Every year the Maryknoll Deaf Development Programme has a general staff meeting to bring all the staff together for two or three days. We work in different provinces and some of the staff do not get to know each other and see each other except at this annual meeting. This year we are meeting in Koh Kong in southern Cambodia, and because it is so far away, we allowed a day to travel, then two days of gatherings, and then a day to return. Click here to see pictures from this day, the travel day.

Farewell to Lika

Today DDP had a little gathering to say goodbye to Bolika, our Deaf Community Center coordinator who is leaving the Deaf Development Programme after fourteen years. She started as a teacher in Kampong Chhnang Province and has kept adapting and using her skills in various positions. She is an extremely competent staff and we are going to miss her.

Lika (2L) chatting with three of the deaf staff and Julie Lawler (2R) as Julie shows in sign language where she is from in the United States.
The deaf and hearing Phnom Penh staff and a couple of our students listen as Lika speaks about her long time at DDP.

Changes

With the new distancing regulations for classrooms because of COVID-19, we needed a larger classroom and decided to trade this meeting room for the old smaller classroom. As part of the trade, we had to put an outside door in the new classroom and also an awning to create a sheltered space outside
Inside the biggest change was removing a bathroom in the back corner to give more space.

Happy Birthday!

Today was Russ Brine’s birthday and the staff presented him with a cake for the occasion and a subsequent mini-party to provide a little merriment and good wishes. In Chinese culture it was an auspicious occasion, marking five times through the Chinese zodiac cycle.

Tasty “snakes”

Today some of the DDP staff got the idea to fry up some “snakes,” as Cambodians tend to pronounce “snacks.” Sliced gourd, potato slices, some cabbage, and sliced onions were battered and then fried in oil in the wok. Served with a pepper and lemon juice sauce, they were delicious!

You hear a really big “THUMP”!

We restarted our education project yesterday at the Maryknoll Deaf Development Programme and now that we know about how many students will be returning, we need to make some modifications to classrooms. We also need to work on the roof of this corridor. The red circle on the translucent panel marks the biggest hole—among several–caused by coconuts falling from the trees. The coconuts weight five to ten pounds and fall from 20 to 30 feet and are capable of doing a lot of damage to buildings and people.

Deaf Day 2020

A deaf mother teaching her son about a butterfly.

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This year, due to COVID-19, we had a small localized Deaf Day celebration on our DDP office grounds. We had about 150+ people come during the day and everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. Click here for some photos of the day.

International Day of Sign Languages

This is International Deaf Week and this year there is a special emphasis on sign language. Here is some interesting information about a nation’s sign language:

How does sign language work?

A sign language relies on a combination of hand shapes, movements, and facial expressions to deliver messages. These can include a combination of:

  • Hand shapes —20-50 hand shapes with many variants
  • Orientation — This is the direction of your hand in relation to your body. For example, making a sign near the head suggests ‘thinking’.
  • Location — Signs are made near different parts of the body to convey meaning
  • Movement — Small or large movements of the head, arms and hands can suggest different words
  • Expression — Head and facial movements or expressions are used to convey emotion and emphasis.