Young deaf mother

 

 

 

 

This Tuesday morning started off with some meetings and then in the afternoon we drove three hours north to central Cambodia to the province of Kampong Cham where we visited a young deaf woman and then the students living in our hostel while participating in our education project.

 

Trip to Kampong Cham Province
7 February 2012

The day started for Johanna Karinen with a meeting with Sr. Luise Ahrens, Maryknoll's country representative in Cambodia. Then Justin Smith gave a report of the Deaf Community Development Project for which he is manager.
Justin Smith making a report
In one of the interludes before we left for Kampong Cham Province, Keat Sokly conferred with Johanna Karinen.
Keat Sokly and Johanna Karinen
Johanna was saying her shoes were too hot for this climate so she went around the corner from the DDP office and bought a pair of sandals to wear and take home.
Johanna Karinen buying some sandals
Finally it was time to leave the office, and the first stop was the Khmer Surin Restaurant for lunch. At the table are Johanna Karinen, Justin Smith, Ratha, and Keat Sokly.
Lunch at Khmer Surin
We had gone just a few minutes from the restaurant, on the highway north toward Kampong Cham, when Johanna noticed ants all over the front seat--and her. Upon investigation, we found hundreds of them under the seat and floor mats. We stopped and Ratha bought can of insect spray that brought the problem under control.
Spraying ants in the truck
An hour and a half later, we stopped at a group of restaurants that serve as something of a rest area. Many vendors offer a variety of fruits and drinks--and these tarantulas roasted in a butter sauce. Cambodian people love them as a snack.
Tarantulas for a snack
In Kampong Cham, before going to the deaf hostel, we stopped at a home where one of our young deaf women and her baby are living with a couple who help care for them. It was delightful to see them all respecting and enjoying each other.
Visiting a deaf woman and her baby
Finally at the DDP hostel, the students turned out to welcome Johanna and us with a great deal of joy and excitement.
Welcoming Johanna Karinen in Kampong Cham
We had timed our trip so we could eat with the students who sat at four tables in the outside yard for supper.
Students eating supper
Then it was time for this crew to wash the dishes out behind the building.
Students washing dishes
Some of the students had homework to do.
Students doing homework
Later almost all of them ended up watching television, a soap opera whose soundtrack they could not hear. In Cambodia there was no interpreter or captions on the screen.
Students watching television
As we guests mingled with the students, they wanted to have their pictures taken with each of us. Here Justin Smith poses with one of the young women.
Justin Smith and a student


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