Handover of Deaf Schools

Today there was a ceremony to formally handover management of the Krousar Thmey deaf schools to the Ministry of Education. More than 1,200 people were present so the prime minister came. Here the VIPs (right) and the others wait for his arrival.
After the ceremony all the deaf students and the teachers and staff of the deaf schools received a gift and then were treated to a formal luncheon. These are deaf staff from the Maryknoll Deaf Development Programme on the sign language committee.

Notre Dame Students

Ellie (L) and Zoe are two students from Notre Dame University in the United States. They are in Cambodia with Maryknoll for a summer program for two months and will spend part of their time at the Deaf Development Programme.

Here they learn Cambodian Sign Language with two of the DDP sign language teachers.

Musica Felice

Today the choral group Musica Felice presented their summer concert. Many of their members are from the English Catholic community and a special addition to this program was blind and deaf young people, including deaf students from the Maryknoll Deaf Development Programme. Click here to see pictures from the performance.

Learning New Signs

Our teachers in all our classroom were in Phnom Penh this past week for a week of teacher training, part of the long break the Education Project has every year at the time of the Khmer New Year. On this day the power was off so the teachers are outside but the lack of electricity didn’t matter too much because they were learning new Cambodian signs from one of our deaf sign language teachers.

More light…

After getting each of DDP’s projects assigned to an area of the new building, we have been focusing on getting the building renovated so that the projects can work better. Because electricity has been very expensive in Cambodia and people were used to living without it, there is little efficient wiring and lighting in Cambodian buildings. Especially at the new DDP, the building was really dark. Now our contractor is just about finished replacing all very small fluorescent lights with new and much brighter LED lighting fixtures.

Getting Ready

We’re still moving in at our new DDP office in Boeung Tum Pun. Everything–all the furniture, filing cabinets, desks and tables and chairs, etc.—has been moved from the old building, but we’re still adding more lights, unpacking boxes, and utilizing new spaces. Today the Year 2 students were cleaning up the new computer lab after workmen finishing installing the new lights and fans.

Having a Dream Center

Boy with cochlear implant (above his ear)

Korea Telecom sponsored a center for Cambodian deaf children to receive a medical device called a cochlear implant to help them hear some sounds by bypassing the part of their ear that does not work. Click here to see photos from the opening of the center.

Launch of ACCESS

This week saw the launch of the Australia Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable and Sustainable Services (ACCESS) to which the Maryknoll Deaf Development Programme was invited.

Several officials spoke and there was a panel discussion on how this program can impact projects to address gender-based violence and the needs of people with disabilities.
DDP brought several of its staff to the event
and also provided the sign language interpreting (right).
Seven members of a dance troupe (many of them former DDP students) from Epic Arts offered a performance with performers both with and without disabilities.