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Uddami Newsletter August 2006 |
| Please excuse the long absence of a newsletter, so much has been happening. In July Bryan and I went to visit a project in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Centre for Children's Happiness (CCH) provides a home for children who used to work at Steung Meanchey Dump. All of the children attend local schools and while we were there they received their report cards - many of them were ranked in the top three of their class. To see an amazing slide show on both the dump and the children who are now at CCH please click here. |
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| We were invited by Marc Gold (100 Friends) to visit CCH and possibly provide some computer assistance. Bryan taught two of the teachers how to maintain the computers (viruses are always a problem) and I gave the teachers the curriculum that we use at Uddami Computer Training Centre. Computer skills and English are becoming very important in Cambodia - we would like to create a centre like UCTC in Phnom Penh. Although you see small signboards announcing various computer courses we were told that the training is similar to that available in Kolkata - either it is theory-based and not very useful in getting a job or it is extremely expensive. |  |
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Earlier this year I received an email from Michelle Sherbondy,
a young woman who wanted to intern at UCTC for two months during the summer. This was an unusual request
because "Mich" is deaf and attends Gallaudet University in Washington D.C.
After numerous emails back and forth I agreed to have Mich come to UCTC. I asked her to teach ASL (American Sign Language) to our teachers and sign and computer skills to our deaf students. Mich also conducted a workshop at Daywalka Foundation to teach hearing people about deaf culture and how to communicate with the deaf. |
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| The sign language classes were a huge success. Mich is an animated, creative teacher who uses many different methods to get her point across. We laughed a lot during the classes at both her efforts to make us understand her signs and our efforts to imitate ASL. Our deaf students use "natural sign" (more like mime than a language) because they have never been taught any formal sign language. As they don't have much proficiency in any language it has been difficult for us to communicate with and teach the deaf students. |  |
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All of us have noticed that after two months of classes, our communication with the deaf students has improved remarkably.
Mich also wanted to mentor the deaf boys in shuktara, a home for boys who have varying disabilities. She would take the boys around Kolkata one by one, guiding them in using the metro and taxis, also in going to restaurants and ordering from the menu. Having Mich here has been a wonderful experience for all of us. I think she has expanded our ideas of what is possible for our deaf students. We hope she is just the first of other deaf people who will want to come and work with us. |
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| Uddami's main goal is to teach computer skills so our students can gain self-confidence, get a decent job and be independent. From time to time we discover that one of our students or someone connected to an UCTC graduate needs some additional help. Usually this means help with educational expenses. If you feel you would like to give this kind of support to an individual, please look at our individual assistance page. Here we list both the individuals we have sponsors for as well as those who still need a sponsor. |  |
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I would like to thank you for your interest in Uddami, we all appreciate your support. Alison Saracena, Director Uddami :: 200 Brannan Street #114 :: San Francisco CA 94107 http://www.uddami.org Any suggestions, comments or questions... please send us a message photos of Steung Meanchey dump and CCH in Phnom Penh courtesy Elia Van Tuyl |
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