Ind eng-599-pdf

Umang
Education and Research Centre

for the Hearing Impaired

Creating Bridges of Understanding
Background

We, the children of Umang School, Ahmedabad, are profoundly deaf. We share a school building with
children studying at the Ellis Bridge Municipal School No. 12 Building. We have been sharing this building
for the last 6 years.

The trouble is that no one really understands what deafness is all about and the issues that it brings. This
leads to a number of misunderstandings and misconceptions among people including adults, never mind
the children. They think of us as stupid or crazy because we are unable to speak as clearly as they are,
because we wear hearing aids and because we sign. But they do not understand that we are just like
them, we too can laugh and learn and play… that we are not stupid or crazy… just different in a nice sort
of way.

Through all these years we have been the butt of their jokes. We have had stones thrown at us from our
windows as we try to learn, disturb us in the class by making such a noise that we cannot hear. We have
had children throw garbage at us and fight with us, destroy our charts, and in general make things
exceedingly difficult.

We have to live together so we decided to “Be the change”. We decided to do something to change all
these misconceptions and “create bridges of understanding” that we can forge and cross together
thereby creating a better and a more just world for all.

Programme Plan for the Year

1. Getting to know each other. Lets become friends.
16 children from Umang, classes 5,6 and7 along with 16 children around the same age group
selected by the teachers from the municipal school will be participating in this pilot project.
The first session was one where the children introduced themselves to each other and told each
other about themselves. The children told them of their name signs and the other children made
up name signs for themselves. As it was a few days before Rakshabandhan, they all made Rakhis
and friendship bands and tied them on each other.
2. The children gathered together to make clay Ganapattis which they painted. Unfortunately, due
to very heavy rains this activity got a bit delayed and the Ganpattis were not ready on time.

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3. The group will do garbas and dances and celebrate Navratri together.
4. The group will get together for a Diwali celebration which will consist of a Rangoli Competition,
Diya painting and possibly a Diwali lunch along with the ladies from the old age home.
5. Monthly or two monthly film screenings together for entertainment and education including
films like Iqbal, Black, Khamoshi, and others, including discussions about them if relevant.
6. Cricket match
7. Sports function and games and Yoga
8. Field Trip or Picnic pending permission from the AMC School Board.
9. Tree plantation in the compound and looking after them.
10. Keeping the compound clean work force.
11. Since we have a computer laboratory with 8 computers, we will work together on the computer.
We are learning how to use the computer and we would like to share our knowledge and skills
with them.
12. Any other activities that may arise out of the interaction and all agree upon.

Generation of Funds

1. Collection of newspaper and pasti and selling it.
2. Donations from well wishers
3. Making items like cards, ceramic paintings, trees, diyas and having a Diwali sale

Implementation

1. We collected Rs 760! That will help us get clay, paper, wax, diyas, colours and some of the other
things we need! But we have long way to go. We will need to collect this every month.
2. Getting to know each other- We have name signs. Give yourselves name signs too!
3. Let’s be friends. We made these Friendship bands and Rakhis.
4. Who doesn’t like to work with clay? Creativity unleashed! Look at the ganpattis .
5. Problems with the administration. Why do we have to stop? We have written to the Municipal
School Board to give us the green signal but….
6. We are praying that they hurry up so that we can start the computer classes, and the garba and
other activities we had planned.

Children Mentors
Heta Bhavika Anal Dipak
Raju Himani Ahiri
Poonam Surat Ankur Kirit
Vishal Ayushi Faizan
Divyang Vishal Nikhil

Umang Education and Research Centre for the Hearing Impaired
Ellis Bridge Municipal School No. 12 Building, Fatehpura, Paldi
Ahmedabad 380 007. Gujarat, India.
Telephone : (+91) 79 – 26605650
E-mail : deafvoice@gmail.com


Creating Bridges

of

Understanding


Why do we fight ?

We are not crazy or
stupid.

We are children too.


We have to share one playground and our
building.

Let’s be friends.

Let’s do something new together.


We decide what we should do ?

We need colours, brushes, clay and other things.
We need money to buy these.

How will we collect the money ?

Cleaning School
Sports day
Christmas
Kite flying
Watching Movies together
Art & Craft


To collect money we sell “Pasti”

We collect quite a bit !

Let’s celebrate Rakshabandhan

We all are friends.


Making Ganeshas together from clay is fun !

Do you like this ?

Isn’t it beautiful ?


Ahh ! Now we have a problem.

The principal upstairs says we need to get permission
from the school board before we can continue.


We will not give up.

We have written to the school board for
permission to continue.

We will start again as soon as we can.


Children Mentors
Heta Bhavika Anal Dipak
Raju Himani Ahiri
Poonam Surat Ankur Kirit
Vishal Ayushi Faizan
Divyang Vishal Nikhil


Umang Education and Research Centre for the Hearing Impaired
Ellis Bridge Municipal School No. 12 Building, Fatehpura, Paldi
Ahmedabad 380 007. Gujarat, India.
Telephone : (+91) 79 – 26605650
E-mail : deafvoice@gmail.com

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