The Nika Project is excited to be collaborating with several organizations for this year’s project in Cambodia. As you might know, Cambodia is a beautiful country with a rich history filled with many challenges. Many of the schools here were formed out of orphanages and the struggle for training and support for adults and children with special needs, particularly those with speech and language needs, are strong in all areas of the country.

The Nika Project is working alongside an organization, OIC - Organization to Improve Communication and Swallowing Therapy services in Cambodia to provide methods and strategies for adults and children in 6 Provinces to communicate to those in their families and communities. Together, we are working to create communication systems and training country-wide with the World Children Fund and Asian Community Trust to assist in creating protocols that are the first in the country for augmentative communiation for limited verbal individuals.

We are also so honored to be working collaboratively with two amazing schools for students with special needs. The Rabbit School and Takmao Special Education High School are two organizations that work with students in Phnom Penh. 80-90% of these students have limited verbal abilities and do not have a method of communication. We will be spending two weeks working closely with their teachers and support staff in order to build training and support for these students.