Discover Your Possibilities (DYP)
The purpose of the organization is to improve the living conditions of children and adults with visual impairments, in the province of Siem Reap, Cambodia and other provinces as feasible, by providing educational support, skill trainings, and different vocational training opportunities.
DYP is working to change the concept in Cambodia, which perceives people with visual impairments (VI) as necessarily dependent on others. We strive to give our best to enable people with visual impairments to reach a good level of independence and to be socially integrated into society.
- Our Vision
A society, where children and adults with visual impairments are well integrated and their living conditions are improved.
- Our Mission
To inspire, support and incite children and adults with visual impairments, to learn and to define and pursue own goals.
- Our Goal
Our goal is to improve the living conditions of children and adults with visual impairments, by providing the Expanded Core Curriculum, learning support and offering different vocational training opportunities to try and choose from, so they have the possibilities to define their own live vision.
Our Core Value
- Creativity
We go creative ways to generate joy, to inspire the blind and visually impaired to find their ways and to enhance their lives.
- Transparency and Accountability
We are responsible for our actions, behaviors, performance and decisions for the quality and sustainable achievements of our work. We work in an honest and accountable manner with the resources we get.
- Respect
We are dedicated, considerate, helpful and patient. Understanding and the capacity for empathy are essential in our work.
- Integrity
We show a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. We work with all our heart.
- Ownership
We empower staff to take responsibility, ownership and initiative at their workplace.
Our Story
How it begun
Here is his story tightly combined with the Schools for the deaf and blind in Cambodia.
Mr. Sang Vanndy became blind when he was 7 years old due to an accident in 1998.
Between the year 1990 to the year 2000 the Krousar Thmey NGO has opened five special schools/dorms across Cambodia, which took care of deaf children and children with visual impairments.
When a branch of Krousar Thmey, finally opened in Siem Reap in the year 2000, children from surrounding provinces were enrolled and Vanndy was among them.
Through the support of this NGO, Mr. Sang Vanndy finished his high school diploma in 2013. As this NGO only hosts students until they finish High School, Sang Vanndy had to cope with life outside the facility without any support.
It was very hard for him to survive outside the facility, as he was not given the opportunity to get a job and therefore had no money to sustain himself. As Mr. Sang Vanndy’s English was quite well at this time, he tried to contact foreigners who knew him from Krousar Thmey and was able to raise funds not only for himself but also for other people with VI living under similar conditions.
Mr. Sang Vanndy finally received a scholarship for Business and Administration Management from the Angkor University in Siem Reap and finished his BA in 2017.
Volunteer to Community Service
During that time, he met Mr. Keuk Sengthai (who is now the Educational Program Director at DYP), which whom he created a charity group called Angkor University Students for Charity (AU) for the purpose of helping poor families in the countryside. The money was donated by students of Angkor University who shared around 3000Riels (0,75USD) a month. As Angkor University has the Memorandum of Understanding with a Korean university, students from Korea, who came to visit, raised funds among themselves and joined the charity work with the AU group. Besides that, the AU group helped to collect money for the Angkor Hospital for children from different donation boxes around town. For this engagement, the group received a small stipend which was added to the AU fund as well.
In 2018 Sang Vanndy and Keuk Sengthai met the representative of iHerb charitable Foundation, who was working with the Krousar Thmey Organisation. Both raised awareness for the need of students after finishing their time with Krousar Thmey.
Researches
Three different researches took place and by 2020 it was clear that a Center would be feasible.
Founding of the NGO
On January, 14th 2021 the Discover Your Possibilities (DYP) NGO was founded and registered with the Ministry of Interior in Cambodia with Prakas #114.
Preparations to open the Learning Center
Six different Schools for people with visual impairments were visited in Thailand and Australia to learn about their programs.
A former hotel could be rented in Siem Reap for 3 years (01-04-2022 to 31-03-2025), which offers space for DYP’s offices, student accommodations and classrooms. There is also a larger area around the outside suitable for orientation & mobility training, with a dining area and swimming pool.
To teach this group of people, a higher level of staffing is needed, compared to other boarding schools, especially as the classes have to be much smaller, so many different subjects will have to be taught, caretakers are needed and also the leisure time has to be arranged.
Everything was prepared to change the hotel into a Learning Center, with offices, classrooms and dormitories, it was made secure, accessible, tactile and visibility of the interior was enhanced.
In October 2022, DYP started to train the various teachers with two experts from Vietnam, (both educated by the Perkins School for the Blind /USA) in how to teach people with visual impairments. Specifically “Independent Living Skills” which includes the very important training for “Orientation & Mobility” where taught. Another specialized Person from Greece, helped with the planning and gave lots of support, especially for the low vision students.
DYP is aware skilled personnel must be trained here. The teachers’ skills will grow over time, through lots of training, exchange programs, input from experts and experiences with the students. You can achieve a lot if your heart is in the right place.
DYP decided to start the pilot project with 12 students to gain first experiences.
Here you can see the fenced-off pool:
DYP also values the Expanded Core Curriculum and has more than half of it translated into Khmer.
DYP at Present
Opening of the Center
After the Waterfestival on November 14, 2022, DYP’s Learning Center opened its gates to welcome the first 12 students between the ages of 14 and 34.
On February 15, 2023, the Learning Center was officially opened. We hope to be able to support many more students here in the future.
Organizational Chart
Executive Committee Members
It is also responsible for developing strategic plans, and budget plans, launching fundraising campaigns, monitoring and evaluating the programs,
and projects implementation, establishing procedures as well as rules and regulations and recruiting and selecting, staff members.
EC is composed of key persons as follows:
Other Team Members
The Way You Can Help
Take action now by donating…. Make a one off donation for more information.
