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People and activities in the Cambodian deaf world
The Maryknoll Deaf Development Programme had a farewell today for our co-director, Keat Sokly (right), who is leaving tomorrow to study in Hong Kong for a year. He will be in a sign language linguistics program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His learning will be great for the deaf community in the long term. In the short term, we are going to miss his presence and leadership tremendously.
Today Keat Sokly, co-director at DDP, and I met Ms. Felix Yim Binh Sze as she arrived from Hong Kong where she is a professor in sign language linguistics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Over dinner we discussed with Felix some ideas about CUHK starting a partnership with a local university to help sign language linguistics develop in Cambodia.
On a recent trip to Kampot Province, we visited our DDP House hostel for students in our Education Project just as they were finishing their lunch. They take turns doing the chores and it was this young man’s day to wash the cooking pots.
Today we had to run down to Kampot Province for some meetings. We got over to DDP House, our hostel for young deaf people in our Education Project, just as they were washing dishes after lunch.
Before the deaf people and their families returned to their traditional villages to celebrate with their elders there, the Deaf Community Center had a celebration for all the deaf community the Sunday before the New Year exodus began. Click here and scroll down to #2 to see the photos.
Today Cecilia and Sam Stanton visited the Maryknoll Deaf Development Programme. Sam is the executive director of the Maryknoll Lay Missioners. Here they are receiving DDP khramas. Srey Nuch, the sign language interpreter, stands behind them.
Last week our visitors to DDP were from Finland and today they were from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York. Chris Kurz and Tommie Sarchet (white sweater) came to discuss training for teachers in deaf education, something that is greatly needed in Cambodia.
This was Kalle’s last full day in Cambodia and it really was a full day with filming at DDP (two times), the Killing Field, the Genocide Museum, and at a deaf family’s home. Click here and scroll down to Monday 2.
After two days in Kampong Cham Province, Kalle returned really excited about the video he shot there and his experience with the deaf community outside of Phnom Penh. Then he returned to the Deaf Community Center in Phnom Penh to film more with the local deaf populace. Click here to see today’s activities and then scroll down to Sunday.
Today was Johanna’s last day in Cambodia. She did some shopping for gifts for her family and then stopped by DDP for a final visit with the local deaf community. Click here and scroll down to Saturday.