Support The City Cambodia Project
This September one of our clients, Nicola Darby, is travelling to Phnom Penh, Cambodia to volunteer at The City Cambodia Project. Here she will be using her skills as a speech and language therapist to train staff in a range of schools including schools for children and young people with learning disabilities.
We caught up with her to find out more about the project and what she will be doing in Cambodia…
Tell us a bit more about the project?
The City Cambodia Project was established in 2007. The charitable project aims to help improve the services available to individuals with speech, language & communication needs in Cambodia.
Each year newly qualified Speech & Language Therapists from City University are sent to Cambodia to help raise awareness of the profession & to provide practical support & training to empower local staff to offer basic speech & language therapy.
What impact does The City Cambodia Project have on the local community?
Due to years of political unrest Cambodia’s health care system was completely destroyed. From 1989 Cambodia was dependent on external aid to rebuild its health care system and it wasn’t until 1995 that a longer-term process of health reform began. To this day Cambodia’s heath care remains poor for most of the population.
Access to education is limited for some & there are no Speech and Language Therapy training courses available in Cambodia therefore the awareness of the role and its benefits are minimal. However, in recent years The City Cambodia Project has been increasingly influential in raising awareness for the need for Speech and language therapy in Cambodia.
What role will you have in this year’s project?
Now in its 9th year the project will be sending 9 Speech and Language Therapists out to Cambodia. I will be part of the schools team.
The schools team will be training staff in a range of schools including schools for children and young people with learning disabilities. A specific aspect of the project which I am excited about will also be focused on supporting these young people's communication vocational skills and educating local businesses on learning disabilities, with view to increasing their opportunities and access to meaningful work.
This has been piloted in previous years, for example one student was supported to work in a local hostel to provide training to the staff in how to support his communication in this environment.
How is the project funded?
The project is entirely self-funded by the volunteer Speech and Language Therapists. They are required to raise money for resources (e.g. assessment material, therapy tools, information packages, toys & books), board and lodge, flights & transportation to and from schools in Cambodia & interpreters.
How can you support the project?
You can support The City Cambodia Project by making a donation to Nicola’s JustGiving page here.