HUYEN
age 16

Huyen is a bright young lady who attends secondary school in the Van Canh Commune, but because she is nearly deaf and has problems speaking, she had difficulty keeping up with her classmates. When not in class, she is learning the art of artificial flower making. These photos were taken in December. The 60-degree weather is very cold for these Vietnamese children.

NHAN

Huyen's friend Nhan also has hearing problems. There are seven children in the village with hearing problems but no classes available to teach the Vietnamese sign language, although that may be changing soon. Deaf kids at the village are creating their own special language. Since this photo was taken, Nhan has returned to her village to help in the fields. She could be back after harvest to join a signing class that the village is hoping to be able to finance.