| After a box lunch was served, the 350+ participants had some time to sit and chat before the afternoon program began. |
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| Deaf people live very isolated lives in Cambodia. No one knows sign language, not even in their own families, and once the young deaf people have gone through DDP's education and job training programs, they are on their own on the job or back at home, so they really appreciate and enjoy coming together for occasions like this. |
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| One of the advantages of a celebration like Deaf Day is that it brings deaf people together from many provinces, reuniting former classmates and friends who may see each other only once or twice a year. |
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| All the DDP staff were encouraged to attend and participate in the Deaf Day activities, and this group of staff found time to catch up with each other. |
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| Charlie Dittmeier helped set up the first Deaf Day in Cambodia in 2000 and has seen many of the young deaf students grow into adulthood. It was good for him to reconnect with old friends also. |
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| These two deaf women found a comfortable place to chat. |
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| The group wearing red shirts at the celebration today were the organizers. Here Pakhdey, the DDP "fix-it" man; Selwyn Hoffmann, the DDP AVI volunteer from Australia; and Justin Smith, the DDP Deputy Director, check on how things are going. |
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