Equip deafblind children with skills for life!

This voluntary project was beyond my expectation. I was given a chance to be a voluntary teacher in Deaf-Blind and Multi Handicapped (DBMH) program in St. Nicholas Home, Penang, Malaysia. During this project, I assisted the children in doing daily routines and taught them basic knowledge in English. Among all children, Siti is the one that I concerned a lot. She was born in April 25^th 2001. She is visually impaired, nasal deformed, and having a growth delay. Siti has become a part of St. Nicholas Home since she was eight years old after her grandfather was unable to take care of her anymore. There is no exact news from her parents, as I know, her mother left her and gave her to the grandfather.

At the first time she was sent to St. Nicholas Home, she wasn’t able to speak, walk, and even chew her food. She was having a malnutrition and weight loss below average. As the time passed by, St. Nicholas Home provides therapy and education to her until she is able to walk, speak, and eat by herself even though she is still facing difficulties in chewing foods. The teachers have to make sure that the foods are edible enough for her. Normally, we minced and shredded the food first before she eats, so that she can just swallow it easily.

Siti is a lovable and cheerful teenager. She always says greetings to teachers and her friends every morning. She can sing and dance to her favorite songs. She will get really excited when Chicken Dance song is playing. Moreover, she can easily understand basic knowledge such as numbers, name of the months, daily routines, name of the animals, and many more by listening to songs and practicing her tactile sense. Usually, I always ask her to count using English and Malay whenever she plays her ‘Egg toys’ and she can do it successfully. I’m so proud of her.

 As can be seen from her story, we should be grateful of what God has given to us. Despite of her disabilities, she can improve her skills and passion. Her imperfection is not a limitation for her in getting a better future. She always smiles in happiness even though she has a tough life. Her story has become an inspiration for us all to keep doing our best in living our life no matter how hard it can be.

We often believe those who are visually impaired do not have the same opportunities in life as those who are fortunate enough to be brought into a world with the ability to see the beauty of the world. This is not the case with Daniel. Daniel is a loving and gentle 16-year-old boy who is the eldest among his 3 siblings. He was born with Premature Retinopathy which is a disease that affects immature vasculature in the eyes of premature babies which progresses to retinal detachment or blindness. Daniel has been in the DBMH program at St Nicholas from the tender age of 7 and his teachers often comment on his great progress and achievement since. Apart from being visually impaired, Daniel’s hands are also deformed which makes it difficult for him to grasp objects properly. However, his physical and visual impairments are no burden to himself or the people around him. Daniel is an independent boy who is able to bathe, dress and feed himself. He is also able to follow instructions and follow his daily routine on his own. 

Meeting Daniel for the first time, it was already evident that he has a fun and playful personality. He loves dancing to his favourite songs, playing on the swings and enjoys playing the xylophone! There is always a smile on Daniel’s face, and he makes sure to put one on yours with his contagious laughter. He has no problems communicating with his teachers and friends but there are still improvements to be done to the clarity of his speech. He recognises his teachers and friends by touch and is always ready for a conversation. When asked about Daniel, it can be seen how proud his teachers are of him and how they admire his ability to live a somewhat regular life despite his disabilities.

Daniel is living proof that there is no disability that can hold a person back to living up to their full potential. The future holds endless possibilities for Daniel, and he is capable of achieving great things with the ongoing love, support and guidance from his teachers.