The Story of Chan Yi

Since January 2025, Chan Yi, a young deaf woman from the province of Tbong Khmum, has been one of the new students at La Bottega dell’Arte, the social design school run by Il Nodo International Cooperation in Phnom Penh.

After completing a two-year literacy course and learning sign language at the Deaf Development Program (DDP), Chan Yi spent several months at home, waiting for an opportunity that never seemed to come. Then, thanks to a recommendation from one of her former educators, she learned about “My Own Hands”, La Bottega’s two-year professional training program in jewelry-making and design craftsmanship.

Today, Chan Yi attends metalworking and drawing classes with commitment and passion, guided by local artisan teachers who are familiar with sign language. Each day brings new challenges, but also moments of discovery, growth, and personal achievement. Her dream? To become a jewelry designer and express her talent and identity through her hands.

Like her, other deaf students are also building their future at La Bottega, whose objective is to be a truly inclusive space where diversity is seen as a strength, and where every student is supported in developing their abilities, free from barriers and prejudice.