Deaf – Page 24 – Welcome to Cambodia, and…..

DDP Staff Meeting #4

Post #3 was about the morning and afternoon activities at the second day of the staff meeting. This post is about our gathering in the evening for a final meal and giving of awards. Click here for photos from the restaurant.

DDP Staff Meeting #3

Today was a sightseeing and fun day. In the morning we went to a waterfall and in the afternoon to a mangrove swamp. In the evening we had a final dinner together but that will be the next part. Click here to see photos from today.

DDP Staff Meeting #2

Today was partly work and partly play. All of it was spent along the coastline, most on a beach on the Gulf of Thailand. Click here to see photos from the day’s activities.

DDP Staff Meeting #1

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.

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.