Lending a helping hand in Cambodia
A Massey University lecturer is making a difference in Cambodia for families with disabilities.
Dr Polly Yeung has travelled to Cambodia almost every December since 2013 to help train staff working in the field of disability and rehabilitation.
When Yeung first visited the country she saw how third world it was. It’s impoverished, there’s a lack of resources and its rural areas are hard to access.
Although Cambodian people were great at talking, staff working with families with disabilities often lacked record-keeping skills, which were needed to pass on patient information, she said.
Her aim over the years has been to train staff in how to do family assessments, goal setting and report writing.
Yeung provides training workshops to local staff working with families with disabilities in Kampong Chhnang, a two-hour drive from Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh.
Nao Sok is just one success story.
In 2013, Sok was a 21-year-old woman with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability.
Although she lived with her parents, they struggled to look after her and she was often left alone in an unhygienic environment.
Staff worked with the family and assessed their needs. They also put the parents in contact with other families who had children with disabilities.
In 2016, Sok’s father built a new bedroom for her. Her parents were much more involved in her care and therapy.
‘‘It takes time, but when it works, it makes a significant impact on the family and the person with disabilities.’’
Yeung was heading back in December to continue training.