FAD Planning Visit Day 5

Boy with Downs Syndrome

Epic Arts, Kampot
7 May 2009

The three visitors from the Finnish Association of the Deaf got their money's worth for their trip to Cambodia, including a ride in the back of the Maryknoll truck for four hours on the way to Kampot Province. Here Virpi and Anja take their seats for the last leg of the trip while Justin and Sokly chat. Travel break in Takeo Province

The destination in Kampot was the Epic Arts Cafe which has become the activity center for the deaf community there. Epic Arts Cafe in Kampot

Hanna Stevens, the program manager of Epic Arts, informally explained the origin and activities of Epic Arts as the visitors rested at the cafe from the journey. Justin Smith, Hannah, Virpi Thurén, Tiina Hedrén, and Anja Malm. Meeting at the cafe

Hannah showed the group the upstairs area which is used as a workshop space, practice area, and meeting room for the different activities of the deaf group centered on the Epic Arts Cafe. The cafe's activity room upstairs

From the Epic Arts Cafe, the group went to visit the DDP classrooms in Kampot. On this day, one of the teachers was absent and both classes were joined together. Students in DDP classroom

Justin Smith spoke to the deaf students and reintroduced himself because he has been away for almost two years. Here he joking says that he is Charlie Dittmeier, giving Charlie's name sign to the students. Justin Smith speaking to students

Then it was back to Epic Arts, but this time to the new activity center which was dedicated on April 20th. The new meeting table was used for the first time for the meeting among the DDP staff, the FAD visitors, and Hanna Stevens. Meeting at Epic Arts activities center

Then it was back to the Epic Arts Cafe. It was getting into early evening then, and these students were heading home for the day. Students leaving Epic Arts Cafe

The Phnom Penh visitors also left the cafe and walked down to the river. The sun was mostly behind the clouds but suddenly the clouds were lit up by a red glow from the setting sun and the visitors hurried to the water's edge to take pictures of the colorful clouds. Taking pictures of the sunset

Walking back from the river, we passed a small shop owned by the family of a deaf man who works for Epic Arts. Savy, in black, was first a field worker for DDP but then became an employee of Epic Arts because of his natural performance skills. Visiting a deaf man's family

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

The three visitors from the Finnish Association of the Deaf got their money's worth for their trip to Cambodia, including a ride in the back of the Maryknoll truck for four hours on the way to Kampot Province. Here Virpi and Anja take their seats for the last leg of the trip while Justin and Sokly chat.
The destination in Kampot was the Epic Arts Cafe which has become the activity center for the deaf community there.
Hanna Stevens, the program manager of Epic Arts, informally explained the origin and activities of Epic Arts as the visitors rested at the cafe from the journey. Justin Smith, Hannah, Virpi Thurén, Tiina Hedrén, and Anja Malm.
Hannah showed the group the upstairs area which is used as a workshop space, practice area, and meeting room for the different activities of the deaf group centered on the Epic Arts Cafe.
From the Epic Arts Cafe, the group went to visit the DDP classrooms in Kampot. On this day, one of the teachers was absent and both classes were joined together.
Justin Smith spoke to the deaf students and reintroduced himself because he has been away for almost two years. Here he joking says that he is Charlie Dittmeier, giving Charlie's name sign to the students.
Then it was back to Epic Arts, but this time to the new activity center which was dedicated on April 20th. The new meeting table was used for the first time for the meeting among the DDP staff, the FAD visitors, and Hanna Stevens.
Then it was back to the Epic Arts Cafe. It was getting into early evening then, and these students were heading home for the day.
The Phnom Penh visitors also left the cafe and walked down to the river. The sun was mostly behind the clouds but suddenly the clouds were lit up by a red glow from the setting sun and the visitors hurried to the water's edge to take pictures of the colorful clouds.
Walking back from the river, we passed a small shop owned by the family of a deaf man who works for Epic Arts. Savy, in black, was first a field worker for DDP but then became an employee of Epic Arts because of his natural performance skills.