Mission to Cambodia
The APCD dispatched a Mission to Cambodia from 22 to 25 June 2005 in order to monitor/follow up former participants of APCD training and gather updated disability information.
Amazingly, APCD has already trained 27 officers in organizations of/for persons with disabilities through 8 training courses since 2002. Nearly half of them are PWDs with a keen commitment to their work; APCD was looking forward to seeing their activities.
The mission team visited 2 focal point organizations:
- the Ministry of Social Affaires, Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation, and
- the Disability Action Council (DAC), and mainly discussed the recruitment system in order to fully utilize the human resources trained by APCD.
The mission team also visited 6 associate organizations where many former APCD training participants were working.
Ms. Ma Layna, Association of the Blind Cambodia (ABC), a former participant of the ICT for Visually Impaired Persons (VIPs) 2004, is actively working for computer training for VIPs. She is teaching 4-6 VIPs in the morning and evening computer classes and is also responsible for Braille and the talking book library. Her efforts and character must be a great asset to ABC and blind friends in Cambodia. APCD hopes that many blind friends will be empowered by her computer classes.
Ms. Em So Chanda from Krousar Thmey in Battambang, is also a former participant of ICT for VIPs. Krousar Themy has 120 deaf as well as blind students from Grades 1-9. Ms. Chanda is in charge of computer classes for visually impaired students and teaches basic computer skills by using a screen reader. She said many blind students are so eager to study computer and ask many questions which she cannot always answer.
The mission team also followed up activities of former participants of a self-help group of PWDs.
The mission team also joined an APCD Alumni Group Networking Meeting at the National Center of Disabled Persons (NCDP) organized by former APCD training participants. Ms. Yin Mom, from Action on Disability and Development, a former participant of SHG training, was the facilitator of the meeting. APCD was so pleased to learn about the significant SHG, CBR, ICT and Networking activities from 12 former training participants. Six objectives of the networking meeting included the importance of collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affaires, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation and DAC, both APCD focal point organizations.
As a mission outcome, APCD was able to learn about the activities of the focal and associate organizations of APCD.
Disability Action Council (DAC) is being restructured emphasizing a national plan of action, an employment policy, and CBR program, etc.
JICA Cambodia is also putting a priority on disability issues. They consider promotion of social participation as well as development of a legal framework for PWDs very important. Strengthening disabled peoples' organizations and capacity building of persons working for PWDs are also essential. APCD is looking forward to seeing fruitful collaboration among NGOs, GO and JICA.
