Volume 4, Issue 2
December 2010 www.discoveringdeafworlds.org
From the heart: empowering the deaf community in Kunming, China
Deaf workers at Hearts & Hands display their handiwork. By Davin Searls Ingrid Chen is the kind of person who sticks around in your head long after she’s left. She has a quiet smile and a motherly constitution, but when she talks, you can feel the fire in her words. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, she has lived in China for 17 years. Ingrid first came to China in 1993 to study Chinese, and decided to study Chinese Sign Language (CSL) just for fun since she had studied deaf education in the UK. What began as a hobby became the basis for her entire career. In 1997, Ingrid joined an NGO working with disadvantaged people in Yunnan Province. Its first project was a truing class in Chinese Sign Language for rural deaf people, the vast majority of who were uneducated. Three years later, Ingrid started Hearts & Hands as a sewing class for rural deaf women. Soon it became a business selling pillows, bags, dolls, tablecloths, and other embroidered items. Hearts & Hands expanded further, adding a workshop training deaf men in carpentry.
With approximately 72 million deaf people in China, according to Ingrid, they could be China’s largest minority population. Unfortunately, the government provides no assistance. “Deaf people must be independent,” she says, “and this is what we try to encourage.” She is the only foreigner who works with Hearts & Hands, which has 27 deaf employees. When deaf people arrive with no education, Hearts & Hands workers voluntarily teach them reading, writing, and CSL. The deaf workers train men in carpentry and women in sewing. Ingrid told of one woman from the countryside. “At first, she was shy,” Ingrid said, “but with an opportunity to prove herself, she became confident.” The woman married a man also from the countryside, and eventually made enough money to put her hearing brother through university. Another worker moved out and started her own business, employing two other deaf workers. To date, Hearts & Hands has trained around 70 workers and 200 more in a general training program for uneducated deaf adults. Continued on page 2 December 2010 1
Hearts & Hands Continued from front page Hearts & Hands has succeeded selling its crafts in and around Kunming, and is slowly branching out online. It hasn’t exactly been easy, however. “When deaf people see another signer they don’t know,” Ingrid said, “They immediately drop their hands and stop signing.” This is because deaf-run gangs constantly threaten deaf people. These gangs will follow deaf people home and then steal from them, knowing that the deaf person will have a hard time reporting the crime. Gang members will also visit deaf schools, tantalizing students with claims of good jobs. Since most deaf people do not find employment and sometimes seek a place of belonging, this is not a hard sell. If the students join the gang, they may be brought to an unfamiliar city and their identification taken away from them. They have no choice but to work for the gang pickpocketing, or sometimes in drugs and prostitution. In a way, Hearts & Hands has to compete with these gangs for employees. Bureaucracy is another hurdle. The government has recently declared that most of the old buildings in Kunming must be demolished, including Hearts & Hands’ sewing factory. New factories are being built
Presentation
Ingrid instructs a new worker on what to make next. far outside of the city. Ingrid also has not had much luck finding deaf people to manage the factory and workshop, much less a deaf person to take her place as director. None of them wants that much responsibility—it’s already hard enough to focus on survival. Despite all these obstacles, Hearts & Hands continues to bring optimism and opportunity to the Kunming deaf community. “I don’t know what will become of us in the future,” Ingrid says. “But there’s still so much need. We’ll manage—we always do.” To learn more about Hearts & Hands or browse its catalog of handcrafted goods and furnishings, visit www.heartsandhandschina.com.
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Why give back? By Bryan Hensel DDW Board Member Not long ago, a good friend asked me, “Why do people give back?” As I work daily with donors who make gifts to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, I was slightly embarrassed Bryan Hensel that I did not have a simple, easy to explain answer at my fingertips. After some reflection, I came to the conclusion that there is no simple answer. Some give to show their appreciation for the organizations that have had a significant impact on their lives. This is why I support my alma mater. Some people give to help others overcome obstacles they have faced in their own lives. I’d imagine this is why many give to help fight breast cancer and other diseases. Some people give because they believe their support will provide others the tools needed to not only survive, but to grow and become contributing members of their communities. I think this is why people choose to support DDW.
This year, I helped DDW launch a series of programs aimed at providing a wide range of opportunities and venues through which individuals can help support the organization’s many important activities. The DDW Monthly Giving Program will allow those with the financial means to help build the financial foundation upon which DDW’s activities take place. I hope those who prefer to give time will consider hosting a showing of Discovering: Shuktara to help spread the word of all that DDW is doing. For the more adventurous who want to see firsthand all that DDW is accomplishing, they may want to consider visiting deaf individuals in Costa Rica, Thailand or Cambodia by registering for a life-changing travel experience through the DDW Journeys program. Why do people give back? I still don’t think there is a single, simple answer. For me, what matters most is that people do give back, however they are best able to and however they feel their contribution will be most impactful. I will continue to contribute my time, talent and treasure to DDW because I believe in its mission and staff. I hope you will do the same.
Want to help raise funds for several DDW projects, including the establishment of Kolkata India’s first deaf vocational center?
Host Host aa Discovering: Discovering: Shuktara Shuktara Fundraiser Fundraiser
Download your DDW Host Kit today www.discoveringdeafworlds.org/support/hostafundraiser December 2010 3
Joy Foundation brings flood relief packages to Pakistan deaf While you may not have read much about the July 2010 floods in Pakistan, the devastation that resulted still looms over the country. At one point, approximately one-fifth of Pakistan’s total land area was underwater. According to the Pakistani government, the floods directly affected about 20 million people—more than the people affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Close to 2,000 people died, and infrastructure—roads, schools, health clinics, electricity and communications—was all but obliterated. Many organizations are still working tirelessly to bring relief to Pakistanis. Here is what Yaqoob Sadiq, Director of Joy Foundation Pakistan (JFP), had to say: Joy Foundation Pakistan is a non-profitable, nonpolitical and non-governmental organization working in the Toba Tek Singh region of Pakistan since 2001. JFP’s mission is to enable disabled persons in our area through capacity-building institution development and encourages equal opportunities at every level by ensuring sensitization and community education about persons with disabilities. All ten JFP members work as volunteers. In Pakistan, the incidence of significant permanent congenital hearing loss is about 1 in 1,000 live births. Many deaf children are faced with enduring attitudes of prejudice, not only from the wider community, but often from within their own communities and families. They
What is DDW? Discovering Deaf Worlds is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit international deaf advocacy organization dedicated to empowering deaf and hard of hearing communities in developing countries. DDW strives to advance the capacity of local deaf communities around the globe to meet their social, educational and employment needs. For more information, visit www.discoveringdeafworlds.org.
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Unloading relief packages filled with bread, milk, toothbrushes, and other essentials. need a great deal of support and encouragement in crossing these barriers. More than 65% of the population lives in rural areas and the rest in urban poor areas, and most people are unaware of the causes of deafness. JFP has been working for the rights of deaf people for the past 4 years. Our efforts have made a difference during these years and positive results have emerged for the welfare of deaf society. JFP has several different projects, including: Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children: We have six young men and women who are being trained as social workers. They Continued on page 6
Travel Tidbits Be careful with your gestures! Everyday gestures that you use in your home country might be insulting somewhere else. For example, the “OK” gesture is insulting in Brazil- so instead, give someone a thumbs-up. In Iran, however, a thumbs-up is equivalent to flipping the bird! To avoid offending anyone, do some research on the culture, customs, and language before you go.
Yaqoob Sadiq, Director of Joy Foundation Pakistan, with a child in the flooddevastated region of Muzaffar Gharh.
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Joy Foundation Pakistan Continued from page 5 visit the communities and motivate communities not to neglect people who are physically and mentally disabled, in addition to encouraging them to look after special children and to bring them to the Rehabilitation Centre for exercises and care. Because of social taboos, disabled children, especially girls, are ignored. Resident Camp for Skills Training and Income Generation: This camp is organized once a year, and the selected 30 people stay for three months as they learn the skills of making decoration pieces, vegetable preservation, shampoo, washing powder making, cards making. The JFP members market these items and earn some income. Disabled people are generally ignored in their families because they generally are considered burdens on their families. The JFP program focuses on giving them useful skills and gaining the families’ attention. Sewing Center: In the rural setting of the district Toba Tek Singh, it is not easy for women to get out of their homes if they do not have a sewing center. A center is a place where the women can come and meet and learn skills. In a country where independent economic
ventures for women are very limited, cutting and sewing are an opportunity to grow more independent and to have a say in the family. Hence, sewing centers are needed where young women can meet and discuss their problems, share ideas and become a team to face the trials of life. JFP helps women in such ventures whenever and wherever it can. In response to the flood, JFP provides over 150 affected families with relief packages consisting of rice, flour, milk, oil, soap, and other necessities. JFP also supplies food items and hygiene kits to 500 children in affected areas, including 125 who are deaf and 105 who have other disabilities. JFP has organized two free medical camps for over 570 children, who are provided with checkups and free medicine. Unfortunately, most families are still homeless, are in need of food and medical care, and lack winter clothing. As we work with affected families, we will continue our endeavors to encourage and uplift the deaf people of Pakistan. JFP is looking for people to help provide winter clothing and school supplies for affected children. To donate such items or to learn more about Joy Foundation Pakistan, e-mail Yaqoob Sadiq at joyfoundationpak@gmail.com.
Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience. Francis Bacon
A thank you to our sponsors
Ralph P. DeStephano 6
Discovering Deaf Worlds
Social media update While you may have already visited our brand-new website, we’ve also been hard at work updating our social media pages. • View our YouTube channel: www.youtube. com/user/DDWTeam • View our Vimeo channel: www.vimeo.com/ channels/ddwteam • “Like” our Facebook page: www.facebook. com/DiscoveringDeafWorlds • Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ DDW_Team
Newsletter services provided by T.S. Writing Services, LLC www.tswriting.com A Deaf-Owned Company
2010: A year in review Dear friends, With 2011 right around the corner, we’d like to reflect on DDW’s accomplishments from this year. One of DDW’s core values is capacity-building: guiding, training, and empowering local leaders and organizations to more effectively carry out their ambitious work. DDW does so by working with community leaders at the grassroots level to identify local issues and make positive changes through collaborative efforts. In 2010, DDW: • Increased its international network to almost 200 deaf schools and organizations DDW Executive Director Davin Searls with in 36 countries. Promoting awareness both Support and Empower Deaf Children members at home and abroad is essential; when people in the Philippines. have access to information and education, they have a greater understanding of their capacity to succeed. • Established DDW Journeys, a ground-breaking travel program that gives participants a taste of culture and adventure while promoting sustainable philanthropic support for deaf associations in developing countries. DDW counsels deaf organizations on project management, bookkeeping, and fundraising, while tour participants are encouraged to support these organizations to expand their efforts. DDW Journeys is currently established in Costa Rica, Thailand, and Cambodia. • Spearheaded the establishment of a Deaf Academy/ Vocational Center (DA/VC) in Kolkata, India, with six other non-profit organizations. At the DA/VC, deaf individuals will be trained to teach other deaf Indians trade A mural at a Filipino deaf school skills needed to find steady employment. The ultimate highlights DDW’s mission. aim is for the DA/VC to be fully run by deaf Indians for •
deaf Indians. Launched its new website, which has over 30 ASL videos, an interactive map of where we’ve been, and the full-length documentary Discovering: Shuktara.
In 2011, DDW plans to: • Travel to India to solidify participation of local non-profits, teachers, interpreters and advisers involved with establishing the DA/VC in Kolkata. • Attend the World Federation of the Deaf XVI World Congress in South Africa in July, and then connect with deaf communities and organizations in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as part of DDW’s Global Deaf Awareness Program. • Host DDW fundraisers/film screenings in as many as 100 cities around the USA. To learn how you can be our next host, visit www.discoveringdeafworlds.org/support/hostafundraiser. • Kick off the new year with a DDW Journey to Costa Rica on Feb. 24-March 5. Contact us before Jan. 20 if you’re interested in joining the trip! Most importantly, we couldn’t do any of this without your continued support. Thank you for believing in us! We are grateful for any gift you can give at this time, and wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy new year. The DDW Team December 2010 7
Did you know...? • Despite being larger than the United States, all of China is in one time zone. • China averages an estimated 274 protests per day. • The average Chinese person only learns 5,000 of the 20,000 characters of the Chinese language in his/her lifetime. • In China, 34 babies are born every minute.
XVI World Congress The XVI World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf will take place from July 18-24, 2011 in Durban, South Africa. DDW plans to attend—do you? Visit www.wfd2011.com/home.html for more information.
Call for contributing writers! If you have connected with the deaf community in a developing country and want to share your story, e-mail a brief summary of your experience to ddwteam@discoveringdeafworlds.org. Discovering: Shuktara was editied and co-produced by
Special Features Include: More stories from Shuktara, Meet Pappu and DDW: Journeys slideshow
www.discoveringdeafworlds.org/support 8
Discovering Deaf Worlds
Shout-Outs! Shout-Outs! Shout-Outs! Adam Mahandi: Thank you for your persistence and your optimistic attitude. We know we can count on you without question. Welcome to the team!
Amrita Nat-Booter, Vicki & Alan Hurwitz, Patty Branz, and Melanie Nakaji: You are truly generous people. Thank you for your kindness.
Sara Romes: Thank you for taking the opportunity to explore and connect with deaf communities in Central America. Your translation services have also been a blessing. Thank you for your commitment to further DDW’s mission!
Barb Haschmann, Stacey Miller, Bernard Bragg, Sara Romes, JMatt & Susan Searls, Lauren Searls and Erin Green: You were the first people to jump-start DDW’s Monthly Giving Program. Your support is what keeps us going. Thank you.
CJ and Wheels, Sarah Gordon and Jesse Jones, Marrianne Benjamin, and Mazy P: Thank you for hosting a Discovering: Shuktara fundraiser in your community! You are appreciated.
Jay Bunnag: We are glad to have you working with us to support organizations advocating for the deaf in Thailand. Thanks for ensuring the success of our first DDW Journey!
The autumn leaves are falling like rain/Although my neighbors are all barbarians/ And you, you are a thousand miles away/There are always two cups at my table. T’ang dynasty poem
“The healthiest response to life is joy.” - Deepak Chopra
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Happy Holidays
from Discovering Deaf Worlds
Our handle is @DDW_Team, or go to www.twitter.com/ DDW_Team
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Nicaragua
Arenal Volcano Monteverde San Jose Manuel Antonio
Panama
Discovering Deaf Worlds and GoPhilanthropic have united to offer unique travel opportunities that combine accessibility, adventure, culture and a way to contribute to international deaf communities. Stroll through the jungles of Monteverde and hike up Arenal Volcano. At the same time, meet with deaf leaders, learn about the issues they face, and participate in local efforts working towards solutions. For more information, trip itineraries and reservation forms visit: www.discoveringdeafworlds.org/programs/costa-rica
For questions, contact: ddwjourneys@discoveringdeafworlds.org 585-234-8144 (V) 585-286-3215 (VP) 10
Discovering Deaf Worlds
Guides fluent in American Sign Language, LESCO (Costa Rican Sign Language), English, and Spanish will be provided.