FAD Planning Visit Day 6

Deaf man

Visiting Families, Kampot
8 May 2009

This second day in Kampot Province was set aside for visiting families with deaf children, to let the visitors from Finland see actual deaf people and the situation outside of Phnom Penh. The first visit was with this deaf man (rear) who has managed to provide quite well for his family through farming and construction work. He does not know sign language. Visit with a deaf man

The deaf man's house has corrugated steel walls, a middle-class touch to complement the house's electricity and city water, even on the edge of Kampot town. Outside the house, Charlie Dittmeier is asking Sarith for directions to the next house to visit. Getting directions to our next stop

Whenever foreigners appear in a rural area, the children gather. In some villages they have never seen a foreigner except on television. The neighborhood children

The second stop for the morning was at a house several kilometers away where there is a deaf youth (orange shirt) in a relatively well-to-do family. Sarith, the DDP field worker and our guide for this trip, spoke to him of coming to DDP activities on the weekends. Second visit, a deaf boy

The third and final stop for the morning was at a more rural house where there was a young deaf woman in the family. The family was not quite sure how old she is. Details like that are often not important to a family although usually they will know which year of the Chinese zodiac a child is born in, even if they do not know the actual birth date. Third visit, a deaf girl

We spoke to the girl's father of the illness that caused her deafness and of her current situation. Speaking with the girl's father

Just as in the city, the people erect spirit houses in fields to placate the original spirits who lived there and were displaced by the arrival of the humans. Spirit house in a field

When we returned to Kampot town, we ate at Epic Arts Cafe before heading back to Phnom Penh. Sokly, the DDP manager, prefers Cambodian food to the more western offerings the cafe provides for the customers, so he ate with the cafe staff. Sokly eating with the Epic Arts staff

The town of Kampot is on an estuary but the sea is not visible from the town so on the road home, we detoured to the small town of Kep where there is an actual beach for swimming. It is a slow, lazy, laid-back spot that is popular with the backpackers. Stop at the seashore at Kep

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

This second day in Kampot Province was set aside for visiting families with deaf children, to let the visitors from Finland see actual deaf people and the situation outside of Phnom Penh. The first visit was with this deaf man (rear) who has managed to provide quite well for his family through farming and construction work. He does not know sign language.
The deaf man's house has corrugated steel walls, a middle-class touch to complement the house's electricity and city water, even on the edge of Kampot town. Outside the house, Charlie Dittmeier is asking Sarith for directions to the next house to visit.
Whenever foreigners appear in a rural area, the children gather. In some villages they have never seen a foreigner except on television.
The second stop for the morning was at a house several kilometers away where there is a deaf youth (orange shirt) in a relatively well-to-do family. Sarith, the DDP field worker and our guide for this trip, spoke to him of coming to DDP activities on the weekends.
The third and final stop for the morning was at a more rural house where there was a young deaf woman in the family. The family was not quite sure how old she is. Details like that are often not important to a family although usually they will know which year of the Chinese zodiac a child is born in, even if they do not know the actual birth date.
We spoke to the girl's father of the illness that caused her deafness and of her current situation.
Just as in the city, the people erect spirit houses in fields to placate the original spirits who lived there and were displaced by the arrival of the humans.
When we returned to Kampot town, we ate at Epic Arts Cafe before heading back to Phnom Penh. Sokly, the DDP manager, prefers Cambodian food to the more western offerings the cafe provides for the customers, so he ate with the cafe staff.
The town of Kampot is on an estuary but the sea is not visible from the town so on the road home, we detoured to the small town of Kep where there is an actual beach for swimming. It is a slow, lazy, laid-back spot that is popular with the backpackers.