Siem Reap

November 2013 Cambodia

Cambodia is a beautiful nation of dense jungles and ancient temples, but it is also home to one of the worst human tragedies in the 20th Century. The Cambodian Genocide resulted in the deaths of more than 1.7 million people (21 percent of the population), but these amazing people have persevered through decades of conflict to create better lives for themselves and build a bright future for their children.

The team was excited to hold our first mission in the country and do our part to empower people with hearing loss and their families to a better tomorrow. With the help of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and actress Shannon Elizabeth, and accompanied by a team from ABC News, we worked to put down roots for better hearing that can grow for decades to come.

One child we met was Sang, a young girl who had never heard before. Her mother said she almost never smiled, and by looking into her eyes, you could tell she felt isolated and alone. Tani Austin was able to fit her. By a slight glimmer in her eye and a sideways glance, Tani new she was hearing, but her reaction was small. The next day we visited a local deaf school and were shocked to see Sang. She had enrolled that day and by the huge smiles on their faces, her and her mother looked like different people! Tani worked with her on signing and speech therapy, and the transformation we witnessed over only 24 hours was miraculous!

Special Thanks

Tony Hawk; Shannon Elizabeth; Krousar Thmey; Enfants Sourds du Cambodge; Vouthy Toch

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