This past week, I traveled to Kerala to see the St. Clare Oral School for the Deaf. It was at the same time, a heart wrenching but awe inspiring experience. The school was conceptualized in 1991 by Mother Provincial Celia, who had gone to Madras. There she happened to see two deaf children talking to each other with actions and other gestures, not official sign language. This event happened in Mylapur, the place where St. Thomas The Apostle of India was martyred and subsequently buried. Seeing these children provided inspiration and insight for Mother Celia. She remembered the great teaching of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare who advocated and taught the members of the Franciscan Clarist congregation (a body of internationally renown nuns) that the Sisters should care for and give emphasis for simple life and come forward to help out children, especially those who have disabilities.
Sister Celia soon returned to Kerala. There, she called four of her nuns and shared with them her experience and reminded them of the call of St. Francis and St. Clare. Consequently Sister Phincintta, Sister Abhay, Sister Binsy and Sister Shelmy took up the challenge. Despite the fact that Sister Phincintta had been accepted for further university studies, she set this aside and instead decided to take the lead and studied sign language for one year at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Mylapur. She returned in 1993 and along with her fellow Sisters, formed the St. Clare Oral School for the Deaf. To this day, these four women are the pillars of this school, dedicating their lives to the needs of deaf children.
In the beginning, there was an existing old age home on the property but it was no longer in use. The building was converted and the school opened with eleven students. A hostel was soon required and added in due time. The first student was Rosemore Theampy who came at the age of six and completed her ten plus two (grade twelve). She is now married with a child of her own. In 1994, the school secured the much needed a no-objection certificate from the government, thereby affiliating it with the state. Each year, this affiliation had to be sought for each subsequent grade and finally in 2002 the school was able to attain permanent affiliation with the state board. This made them eligible for partial subsidies for food and teachers. However, there is a trade off because with an affiliation to a state board, there can be no charging of any fees. The only other funds that they receive are from the Sister Provincial and limited donations. In 1996, extensive renovations were completed to add hostel space to the school. The school is now eighteen years old with an enrollment of 175 students, 85 girls and 90 boys.
The children in St. Clare Oral School for the deaf come from a twenty kilometer radius. Deafness is a huge problem in India due to the overuse of pesticides. Parents who are at a loss of what to do with their child often abandon them. Many families come from extreme poverty. One of the girls in the school was found in the forest by the nuns. Another case was sister and brother who were both born deaf and rejected.
The teachers are required to complete their B Ed and special training Diploma for the hearing impaired. Their dedication to the students was very evident as I toured the facility. But they face many challenges. One hundred and forty of the students live in the hostel. The living conditions are crowded and toilet facilities are limited. Many of the children are former orphans or street or railway children. When they are born, each of the parents blames the other, creating a great deal of fighting. Neither parent cares for the child. This wound remains with the child, resulting in a great deal of aggression and stubbornness. In addition, as they cannot hear, they cannot initially understand the teachers and Sister's language. To make matters worse, the children fight a lot with each other because they are unable to express themselves and there are a lot of misunderstandings. At least one Sister needs to remain with the children at all times. Sister Phincintta's bedroom has a window that faces into the boys dormitory so that she can supervise them at night. Sometimes the children have nightmares and shout out. The children are always feeling insecure, especially when the electricity goes out and they cannot see or hear, which is a frequent occurrence in India.
One of the Sisters told me that the students have often told her that children who are born blind are better off than those born deaf. This is because children who are blind cannot see everything around them and therefore there are less doubts and less demands. Whereas a child who can see and not hear can see how things should be and come to realize that they are missing out on life. So they say it is better to be born blind than deaf.
The work of St. Clare Oral School for the Deaf is essential. One of the goals of the school is to provide everything that any child in a normal school would get. Boys, when they graduate out of St. Clare, can consider a job in the trades: welding, aluminum fabrication, typing, or alternatively computer operations. One student has completed his Bachelor of Technology and became an engineer. He does not speak at all, yet did his studies along with all the other regular students in the university program. The girls face more job limitations but are able to work in the fields of fashion design, embroidery, painting, embossing and flower arrangement. With an education, they have better chances of marrying. Often a match will be made with a deaf boy and a deaf girl. Since the inception of the school, five batches of 15-16 students have graduated from tenth grade. They have also excelled at sports, winning national level volleyball and dance competitions.
Perhaps to put it into perspective, we can consider what would happen if they did not have this opportunity. They would be unwanted, a burden to parents, the family and to society. No normal school would accept them. As a result of discouragement, tension and insecurity, they would become violent. Most importantly, they would not be able to get a job, become independent or have any sense of self-worth.
During our visit, we were treated to an exceptional presentation by the students. It included dancing, acting, and a band performance. This band of twenty one students is widely renown, having won the state level competition for the last six years. Because they cannot hear, they are taught rhythm timing visually and through vibration. To conduct, the teacher pats her arm with one hand to indicate the rhythm. The fact that this band has won so many awards is extraordinary as they are not able to correct themselves when they make mistakes. The instructor, therefore, always needs to be there. The students, dressed up in their red and gold uniforms, paraded in front of me in perfect step. A variety of percussion instruments and drums blended together creating the Indian national anthem and a variety of other songs. Afterward, we watched a number of dances and then an incredible play miming various passengers and their antics on an Indian bus. At the end, each of the 140 students in the hostel came up to thank me for coming. Some had distorted speech but many were able to enunciate well.
Before I left, I gave a donation from the India Village Poverty Relief Fund for 40,000 Rupees, about one thousand dollars. This will be used for supplies for the school. But there is much more to be done. The school is in need of funds for clothes and items for the children. The school is also in need of chemistry and audio visual labs to further enhance the learning. The audio visual lab needs be able to accommodate 25 students and have a sound proof room (a government requirement), a home theater system and an LCD projector. Both of these lab buildings need to be constructed. As you can see, there is a lot that we can do, if we are able.
I was able to spend one entire day with one of the deaf children. This young man, Joseph, is the son of my host family in Kerala. I am still haunted by the beseeching look in his eyes. He wanted desperately to be able to participate in daily family life and connect with those around him. Instead, he lives on the fringe, like a shadow,in his own insular world. But through education and life with his peers, he can gain fulfillment and a feeling of inclusion in society. The St. Clare Oral School for the deaf needs our support. Please consider donating to the India Village Poverty Relief Fund during the Christmas season so that together we can make a difference.
