Tuesday, November 13, 2007

When eyes hear and hands speak.....

I was pretty nervous as it was my first day, i didn't want to do anything wrong, they were every where some looking towards me , with expressions i could only read as "stranger" and others busy with themselves.

I posted myself under a tree which shadowed a set of staircase leading to school's stage. The tree saved me from those interrogating expressions of the hands and eyes seeking an answer, so was i afraid of answering? or was i afraid of answering wrong? probably the later.

As i was sitting , Ashwini came to me ( A KG student whose name was displayed on his ID card) , and moved his hands towards me pointing towards the "helmet" that i carried , i gave it to him and then Ashwini was like the happiest kid around. The helmet sat on his head giving him a look of the astronaut :-)..he went around holding my hand and showing his school mates his new style and then pointing towards me to make people aware the source of this mischief :-). It took just a few moments and i could read most of their gestures , and i knew what to answer to those beautiful eyes. Every thing suddenly started making so much sense, my fear vanished somewhere and i was eager as anything to start assisting the teaching lessons to these kids..... i couldn't wait to talk to them more .....i knew i would have to work hard to learn to teach them but i had found the strongest driving force to do so......it was nothing but these kids ....

Ashwini taught "my eyes the first lesson of hearing" and "my hands first lesson of speaking".

It was my first day at the school for special children, where me and my team mates volunteer every weekend, these kids had hearing and speech disorders, most of them being 100% affected, so the only language that they knew was of signs.

Things around me constantly brought surprises, the bell rang and students where all assembled at one place for the morning prayers..but then they couldn't hear !! How did they hear the bell?. They did not i guess the gesture of the hammer striking the brass plate signalled them that it was time for the prayers.

Its since been a great journey for me among these kids, every Saturday when i am at this school, its not me teaching the kids its these kids teaching my life a new chapter each day i meet them............Kids from this school pass out with full capabilities to achieve success in all walks of life....becoming able contributors to the development of this society.....

We take so much from this society around us , its time that we start giving back something to it....no matter where you are what you do...if you can spare a few hours which can help any underprivileged or physically challenged kid....it would mean a world to them......Please come forward and start looking around you...create a culture ...create a group....pool in friends and family ....a small effort from our end can bring phenomenal difference to the lives of such kids.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

very very nice n touching..