Deaf Visitors In Cambodia from Japan and the United States

Visiting the CDPO Steve Turcsany from Chicago (red shirt) and Sanae Izawa from Tokyo (black shirt) visited the Cambodian Disabled People's Organization's deaf program in December. Both deaf themselves, they quickly found enough common sign language to talk with the Khmer deaf group.

Standing among the mass graves of the Killing Fields in Cambodia Approximately 8,000 Cambodians were murdered at the Killing Field at Choeung Ek near Phnom Penh, one of 120 killing fields all over Cambodia.  They were buried in these mass graves, now just big holes, but the bones have been removed to a memorial stupa in the center of the monument area.

At the Tuol Sleng Torture Center for the Khmer Rouge Tuol Sleng is an old high school in the middle of Phnom Penh. It was turned into a torture and interrogation center for the Khmer Rouge where people were brought before being taken to the killing fields.  For some reason the Khmer Rouge took photographs of each of their victims.

Talking with students at the Krousar Thmey deaf school This is a classroom in the first deaf school in Cambodia's history.  It has now has grades 1 through 4, with about 135 students. Krousar Thmey, a French NGO, started this and two other deaf schools in Siem Reap and Battambang.

With Charlie Dittmeier and the principal of the deaf school Here Steve Turcasny and Sanae Izawa pose outside a classroom building with the principal of the deaf school and Charlie Dittmeier.

With AIDS patients making quilts One of the major projects of Maryknoll in Cambodia is working with AIDS patients. At this center, sick people come to be seen by a doctor for diagnosis and to receive medicine.  About twelve of the patients are involved making quilts which they sell to get money for their medicines and for the future support of their families after they die.