FAD Planning Visit Day 7

Anja Malm

Final Meetings
9 May 2009

Because the Catholic Relief Services offices were closed on this Saturday, the FAD and DDP members met at the DDP office. Unfortunately, new shelves that were installed in the adjoining office yesterday were not finished and workers were still adding several coats of paint. The fumes were quite strong in the meeting room! Painters in the DDP office

At lunch time the group had their last meal together at The Boddhi Tree not far from DDP House. Lunch on the final day

The Boddhi Tree is across the street from the Tuol Sleng Torture Museum where 14,000 Cambodians were tortured before being taken to the killing fields. Because of scheduling problems, the best the visitors could do this trip was walk past the center. Walking past Tuol Sleng Torture Museum

Around the corner, at the DDP House hostel, the visitors from Finland were able to talk with the young deaf men and women from the provinces who live at DDP House for a year while going through job training in Phnom Penh.

Two of the young women showed Virpi, Tiina, and Anja their bedroom where they sleep six to a room. The rooms have triple-decker bunk beds but some girls prefer to sleep on the floor as they do at home. In one of the bedrooms

Before heading back to the DDP office for the afternoon meetings, there was a chance to talk to some of the staff and participants at the Deaf Community Center which is on the same property as the hostel. Talking with deaf people at the community center

The final event before leaving the hostel was a group photograph of the residents and the visitors from Finland. The DDP House residents and visitors

The meetings today focused on details of a plan for developing the deaf community in Cambodia. One of the main elements of the plan is a center to be opened in Kampong Cham Province which will house another hostel, job training workshops, meeting rooms, activity areas, and small shops to sell things the trainees make. The final meetings

Go to FAD Visit main page
Go to Funders page on DDP website
Go to Charlie Dittmeier's home page

Because the Catholic Relief Services offices were closed on this Saturday, the FAD and DDP members met at the DDP office. Unfortunately, new shelves that were installed in the adjoining office yesterday were not finished and workers were still adding several coats of paint. The fumes were quite strong in the meeting room!
At lunch time the group had their last meal together at The Boddhi Tree not far from DDP House.
The Boddhi Tree is across the street from the Tuol Sleng Torture Museum where 14,000 Cambodians were tortured before being taken to the killing fields. Because of scheduling problems, the best the visitors could do this trip was walk past the center.
Around the corner, at the DDP House hostel, the visitors from Finland were able to talk with the young deaf men and women from the provinces who live at DDP House for a year while going through job training in Phnom Penh.
Two of the young women showed Virpi, Tiina, and Anja their bedroom where they sleep six to a room. The rooms have triple-decker bunk beds but some girls prefer to sleep on the floor as they do at home.
Before heading back to the DDP office for the afternoon meetings, there was a chance to talk to some of the staff and participants at the Deaf Community Center which is on the same property as the hostel.
The final event before leaving the hostel was a group photograph of the residents and the visitors from Finland.
The meetings today focused on details of a plan for developing the deaf community in Cambodia. One of the main elements of the plan is a center to be opened in Kampong Cham Province which will house another hostel, job training workshops, meeting rooms, activity areas, and small shops to sell things the trainees make.