Tha, my Translator

Tha has been translating for me since I started at CoDeC. He is 28 years old and has been teaching himself English for the last 12 years. As I have never worked with a translator before and this is his first translating job, we are struggling with how to use his time best. When I am in meetings or at presentations, Tha translates what is being said into English or Khmer and I also give him written documents to translate. He helps me to practise using some of my conversational Khmer language skills. I have started giving daily English lessons to the other CoDeC staff, and Tha is is a real godsend, as he is able to explain the rules of English grammar and translate words much better than I can. Rachel, Bram and I have asked Tha to give us two Khmer lessons per week during our lunch breaks, and we have been spending the time going over the lessons we originally did with our other teacher, Dara, when we were in Kampong Cham. Tha doesn’t have his own motorbike, so he rides pillion with me to and from work, and if we go on long journeys, I usually ask him to drive. In spite of being skilled, reliable and hard-working, Tha has been unemployed for most of his adult life, and his situation is typical of many local people. This is the first job where he will be earning a living wage ($170 per month), but the contract is only for 6 months, so I hope his experience with me will lead to other work.