Hues & Views

Let them fly!

2008-10-22T16:14:00.006+05:30

These kids are really special! Differently abled they are, but many would agree that they are truly gifted. They can create moments, colour our lives and fill it with the sound of music… All they ask from us is love, affection, and acceptance. Children with Special Education Needs, if given timely help can be as normal as the kid next door.

Dekho Inhein Yeh Hain Os Ki Boondein, Patton Ki Gaud Mein Aasmaan Se Koodein, Angdayee Lein Phir Karwat Badal Kar, Nazuk Se Moti Hans De Phisal Kar… Kho Na Jaaye Ye Taare Zameen Par (look at them, like fresh drops of dew, nestled in the palms of leaves, gifts of the heaven, stretching and turning, slipping and sliding, like delicate pearls glinting with laughter… let us not loose these stars on earth)…
When I called Aparna, this inciting song, which welcomed me as her caller tune, gave me a glimpse into her beautiful little world. In her voice and words, was an urge to make the people act. “Ten years back, when I had to enroll my child, Varun, who was diagnosed with Autism-mild, in a school, it was very difficult. Today, the things have changed, there are schools which welcome children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), but there is still a lot more to be done,” she said. Things seem to be changing, but yes like she stated, a lot is underway. Every child is unique and has his or her own special needs. Children with learning problems require a little more time to grasp their lessons, but in the end they can all learn. People need to understand this. Further, the reasons for slow learning could be diverse. Children diagnosed with mental disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dyslexia, if helped early enough, can be as normal as the kid next door.

Walk along!
Says Manjula Kalyaan of Swayam Krushi, “Appropriate education, in inclusive settings will help children with mental challenges.” If the main stream schools welcome the mentally challenged students and adapt the existing curriculum to suit the needs of those with mental retardation and develop the tools of evaluation, it will be a blessing for these specially challenged children, she adds. Swayam Krushi is an NGO working towards rehabilitation and integration of adults with development disabilities.
Inclusive education means every child irrespective of gender, religion, socio-economic background or needs has the right to attend a mainstream school. The government claims to ensure education for every child, although not all schools have an inclusive environment where students with different learning needs can be catered to.
Aparna says, “Inclusive education is being asked for as it helps the children socialise with others and does not leave the child isolated. Even if he is weak in studies, the encouragement he would receive from the other friends and teachers will help him in the long run.”
When a child is trained in the main stream schools as against the special schools, it can go a long way in helping the child carve a niche for himself in the world.
Suma Banerjee, a teacher at Delhi public School, Secunderabad verbalizes her experiences, “We have parents who are not ready to accept the personality and the abilities of the child, including his/her disability. They do not fully understand that Children with Special Education Needs follow an independent trajectory and cannot work towards the same goals as regular students. There are many parents who do not reveal the incidents after birth which may have contributed to certain learning difficulties; there are others who are under the impression that time will take care of the learning difficulties a child is facing, or push it under the carpet saying that even the father or the uncle had certain traits in them and they are doing fine now. As long as the parent and school concerned understand that the emphasis will be on social integration and healthy emotional development up to a certain age, inclusion works.

Take care!
Inclusion is a complex process; it refers to more than the physical placement of a child. It is about providing educational services to all students with out any discrimination. This means all the students, with and without disability, are considered equal members of the classroom. You cannot be emotional and take a decision of being inclusive; you need to be realistic in your approach.
“When I introduced exceptional children in Gitanjali Group of Schools, eleven years ago, I must say it wasn’t at all an easy task. To start of with we had to convince everyone involved- teachers, support staff, students and parents, who were all skeptical about the step taken. Teachers needed a thorough orientation program as they had to be sensitized towards the special needs of these children. Students too, had to be made aware. These children with special needs ask for plenty of love and encouragement. The normal kids need to be educated that these special children need their acceptance and support,” avers Gita Karan, director of Gitanjali Group of Schools.
Going to a mainstream school will motivate them and boost their confidence level, if not more. “Unable to pick up the lessons taught in class like the other kids did, Varun used to get very frustrated and sometimes would just sit quiet as he would be confused because he was unable to complete what was demanded of him. We had to change many schools and then at last we found a school where Varun was welcomed without any qualms,” recalled Aparna as she spoke of Gita Karan.
“At Gitanjali, Varun was given the right guidance and support, from teachers and classmates alike. Slowly the hyper active, confused and frustrated Varun changed to a calm, confident guy. The school helped him socialize with other children of his age,” she adds.

Making it possible!
“It’s not an easy task but is definitely, not impossible!” opines Madhuri Deshpande, who runs an inclusive school in Pune called Ankur Vidyamandir. “Faith is the key to inclusive schools. Parents, principals need to have faith in the child and the teacher alike. This forms the base for the learning process,” puts in Madhuri Deshpande.
Agrees Gita Karan, “The task is not impossible! Yes, you cannot get carried away and treat retarded individuals as normal kids, because they are retarded, they have a right to special services.” Madhuri Deshpande adds, “Children with Special Education Needs require you to be very patient. Also, we need to understand that each and every child is different. Each one demands a different approach, method or way of teaching. Two kids suffering from similar disability too sometimes require the teacher to develop different teaching methods. What works with one might not work with the other.”
Most of these children are gifted, many make wonderful works of art through colours, and many fill your life with sounds of music. “Parents should accept these qualities and encourage the child. These children are indeed very creative. While many parents insist on ‘good marks’ in the report cards, which is not right,” puts in Shailaja Gopinath, vice principal, Delhi Public School, Diamond Point.
Another vital point to bring to light is the time factor! Time plays a very important role in the development of children with Special Education Needs. “Timely intervention goes a long way! Parent should accept the child’s disability. Only acceptance will lead you to look for a remedy,” states Shailaja Gopinath.

Life in Japan

2008-09-16T16:43:00.002+05:30

Visiting a different country, be it a pleasure trip or an educational trip, is always a fun learning experience. And a right mix of both pleasure and education is what cultural exchange programs are! Few students from Hyderabad recently visited Japan as a part of the student expedition, Madhavi Dharia finds out about their experience

at the hi-tech country…

Perfect, that's how I can describe the life there… The people there crave for perfection in everything they do and that is noticeable in every aspect of a Japanese lifestyle. Be it the way they maintain their houses or the way they innovate
the state-of-art machines, avers Syed Shoeb from Nasr School Boys, Gachibowli as he starts to describe the entire tour to Japan. The trip was an invitation from the mayor of Miyoshi city for a sister city affiliation between Hyderabad and Miyoshi
city. A team of ten students and three teachers visited Japan and as expected they were quite excited as it was the first student expedition from Hyderabad. "When I told my friends that I was going to Japan, their instant reaction was 'God save Japan' as I am quite naughty. But,we were representing our country and going on an exchange program to showcase our culture. I knew I had to have fun but at the same time behave well like a true Indian, says Raza with a naughty smile.

Excitement, at an all time high!

The program was conceptualized so that students from both the countries, India and Japan, can take a closer look at the culture of the other country. The students began their trip with a visit to the Universal Studios. Overwhelmed and excited to see the sets of Jurrassic Park, Spider Man, Back to future, they had a 'mind-blowing' time, as Sai Vihan put it. Agrees Mohit Bang, "The visit to the studio was, in one word, amazing."
The students also experienced the ride in the bullet train Hikori 395 which travelled at a speed of almost 330 miles per hour.Visiting the world's largest aquarium, Tokyo Kariyakar, also was a great high for them. A visit to the historical city, Hiroshima, was an experience in itself. "The city has preserved everything after the atomic bombing there. We also visited the Peace memorial park and the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall. This place was made to remember the sacrifice of the atomic bomb victims. The Hall contains a number of displays. On the roof, near the entrance is a clock frozen at 8:15, the time the bomb went off," recalls Syed Shoeb. "The radiation caused by the bomb can still be felt. But it was pleasant to see that the place is not just a barren land but things have changed. It's a fertile and prosperous place now, though you will notice that the shape of the trees and fruits are different and strange," exclaims Ali Raza. The city is also famous for the Precious art pieces and models of the traditional Origami and hence they also went to see the Okuda museum and Origami museum. "This art museum features a comprehensive display of artwork by the Japanese painter Genso Okuda and by his wife Sayume. Okuda's work often incorporated the moon motif in his paintings," pronounced Sai Vihan.

When strangers became friends
Students from Nasr School Boys also stayed with Japanese families in Miyoshi city. Staying with Japanese people and spending quality time with them definitely helped them know the place better. "The families we stayed with were traditional Japanese families.Never in our three days stay did we feel alienated. They were very hospitable," puts in Sai Vihan.
"The families, in fact kept our liking in mind, in terms of the food and everything else. If we didn't wish to have Japanese food they prepared Indian dishes for us. They took us for city ride showing us the famous places of interest," adds Ali Raza. "We visited museums, and experienced Japan folklore, and also took part in the firework festival," exclaimed Saiananth Reddy.

Cool time at school

As a part of their visit the team also visited Shiomachi Junior High School. "We received a very warm welcome from the school children. First they showed us their whole school from classrooms, to play area to library we took a good look at the school building and infrastructure. It was a very clean school, I must say," claims Saiananth Reddy. As a part of the cultural exchange program the children hosted a show which included speeches, skits, dance and songs. Students from Nasr School Boys gave speeches on Indian heritage and culture, development and education. This gave the students of the host school a first hand view of India. "The children from both the countries sang the national song of their respective nations and the host school shared their traditional music with us. it was really great to see them play the instruments," averred Sai Vihan. The day came to an end with a friendly basketball match between the two teams from India and Japan.

Language Barrier, What's That?
Japan is known for its hi-tech gadgets and lo they had a digital dairy for breaking the language barrier. When these kids went to Japan language barrier was not at all an issue. Neither did the people need to know English or Hindi to communicate nor did these kids need to know Japanese to talk to them. "A digital diary helped us with breaking the language barrier. Anything that we needed, we would be type it on the diary and it would translate it for the other person. And for trivial things actions spoke louder than words," spoke Sai Vihan.
There is a point that Syed Shoeb wanted to bring to light here, he said, "Japanese people are not open to learning new languages. Everyone in Japan speaks Japanese. You would not find people learning English because they need to communicate with other people. They give a lot of importance to their language." Ali Raza adds, "It is very difficult to find an English keyboard in Japan, unlike India where I would be very difficult to find a Hindi or Telugu language keyboard."
Language barrier was not a problem for us as we were there on a cultural exchange program, but for visitors and tourists and people who are there for business networking, language would definitely be a problem. "In India we are open to learning new languages, we speak Hindi, we know our mother tongue but we also learnt English so that we can break the communication barriers with the outside world. Here people do not mind changing according to the needs. In Japan, they want the people to change according to them," reiterates Saiananth Reddy.

Sweet looks, sweeter manners…
The people of Japan are known for their discipline but these kids say they have more feathers in their cap. "They are very patient too. In India, when one travels by a local train, people push and run if they are in a rush. But, in Japan they are so patient that even if they are in a hurry, they will not infringe into the other person but wait till the person in front moves. You will hardly hear them shout or be rude, says Syed Shoeb. Saiananth Reddy also had something to add, "The people there are so down-to earth and that was visible to us on our first day at Miyoshi City. The mayor of the city, Morey San was present to welcome us along with other dignitaries. We were awestruck when we saw a person holding such a high post, coming to receive us." Being a communist country the people there do not give a lot of importance to the
religion. "This came as a shock or rather a surprise to us! In India religion grabs a lot of attention. But out there, you will just see them say- Japanese, Japanese bhai bhai," states Ali Raza.

India Still Cherishes... but

2008-06-25T15:07:00.000+05:30

Dil Maange more...

Kapil dev and his boys scripted history on a sunny Saturday at Lord’s in 1983... Hardly did they know that it would be a win that will be remembered in years to come… The victory is still cherished as it heralded a new chapter in Indian Cricket history, but youngistaan wants an ‘encore’…

It was an otherworldly performance by the Kapil dev’s boys, incredible to fathom, how it all came about. May be it was, as clichéd as it may sound, destiny, even Kapil Dev likes to put it that way. The team with little note worthy performance coming back with the championship trophy held high, seems incredible even today. At the silver jubilee celebrations of the historic win, Kapil Dev agreed that what the team achieved 25 years ago was really unimaginable.
The 1983 World cup coronation is cherished and glorified even after 25 years not just because India has never again won the supreme championship but because the victory came as a surprise and the performance of the team was beyond anyone’s comprehension. No one in their wildest dreams thought that the Indian cricket team would throng the Lords balcony with the trophy held high. It still remains a source of wonder.

“It was a delirious moment! I’m not such a huge cricket fan but I remember my cousins, mainly boys and my friends at college were filled with joys and were so excited about the win. It was a high point of achievement especially at the time when India didn’t have many to its credit. In the midst of all the celebrations of the only Cricket World Cup win by India, I am shocked that we haven’t been able to ‘do it again’, speaks Shailaja Gopinath, Vice Principal, Delhi Public School, Diamond point. “Can we have another one, please!” she adds with a smile.The world cup win triggered a cricket revolution in India, boosting millions of sports fans and in course of time, the nation became the game's global commercial hub.Kapil’s bold decisions, the fire in the young guns, and the ‘no unbearable burden of expectation’ on the shoulders of Kapil Dev and his boys made them the Lords of 1983!“Indian cricket actually came of age, tells my dad to me, when Kapil’s devils lifted the World Cup in 1983. Twenty five years back India announced its arrival into the world of cricket. Kapil’s boys truly became the lords of world cricket,” speaks Krishna Akhil of All Saints High School.

We all are proud of that World cup win and even today our cricket talks recall this historical win and is accompanied by a wish ‘hope history repeats itself.’ “Let’s go, let’s play and Win,” avers Rohit Thomas of Gitanjali Senior School. “Indian Cricket team should in the year 2011 bring back the glory,” Akhlesh of Defence Labs school demands. And with crossed fingers he adds, “It would be a dream come true if India wins that World Cup. Hope they do!” Similarly, Chrisanna of St Andrew’s High School, says to boost up the present generation cricketers, “If we could do it ones, with a young team, why not again. The 1983 win gives us confidence to achieve more and the recent twenty-20 win should add to it too.“The present generation, or better still the youngistaans, haven’t witnessed the momentous win, but when they think of that day in history, they have their own little story to tell. “Champions are made from something they have deep inside them– a desire, a dream, and a vision, I’m sure the team then must have a deep desire to win and prove the world wrong. I was not even born then but I have heard about the win, from elders at home. I am proud of it because we won after a lot of hard work. The players had superb co-ordination back then which led them to this victory. It is a matter of pride and a moment to cherish,” feels Sachin Vaidya of Delhi public School, Diamond point.

Like any fan of Indian cricket, I too am hungry for more… and hence would end by what Ravi Shastri, who was then the youngest member of the World Cup winning team, said ‘The 2011 World Cup will be played in the Indian sub-continent and I think we have a team in the making who can repeat our feet.’

Celebrating Childhood

2006-11-15T16:37:00.002+05:30

Each one mentor one
With the day-to-day increase in the number of children working with tools, a ray of hope is seen through the eyes of the young guns of the country. Trying to make a significant change in the life of deprived children, a group of youngsters of Hyderabad initiated an innovative scheme- Dronacharya and Ekalavya programme. Launched on Children's Day this mentorship programme aims to bring out the child's latent talents and give proper guidance to them. The NGO, Bhumi, has adopted the government school at Rasoolpura, with 700 students, for their overall development. To turn these children's dreams into reality and show them the right path, the DnE has given life to the idea of 'each one teach one,' 100 young professionals would mentor and guide one child each. "These children have lots of potential in them. Due to lack of awareness they do not see the various doors of unlimited opportunities open for them. Through the DnE programme we wish to scout them and be their pathfinder." Says Divyasree Cherala, vice-president of Bhumi. Each mentor will be like the elder sister or brother to the mentees, who will channelize their abilities, show them the right direction, and help them expand their horizons.

Each child has his own talent
If you have the will, you will find a way, you will overcome all the hurdles life puts in front of you. Keerthi,Archana M, and Rakesh Reddy, are live examples of this.
Instead of taking the hearing impairment as a setback they took advantage of the other four senses God has gifted them with.
Students of Ashray Akruti - Little Angels School for deaf,the three love painting and got a chance to exhibit their work of art at the Children's Day celebrations organised by the school. Keerthi and Archana perused Bachelors in Fine Arts, to polish their skills in painting. Rakesh Reddy also loves painting but his aim is to become a fashion designer.
DPK Babu, Director of the school says, “These students have proven that they are like any other person, with dreams big enough to acheive them”.

Hamaru Hyderabad

2005-10-04T14:54:00.001+05:30

For a community that goes where commerce takes it, it’s no surprise that the Gujarati diaspora is strongly represented in Hyderabad. The city is home to two lakh Gujaratis who give rich colour to its many-hued tapestry. Take away the Gujaratis from Hyderabad, and you have a city without a spring in its step.

There was no period in the history of the Deccan when it did not have strong migratory and commercial ties with Gujarat. In all probability, the spread of Jainism in the first millennium brought the two regions together, but the origin of the last wave of Gujarati migration dates back to the time of Nizam Ali Khan, the second Nizam, who moved his capital to Hyderabad from Aurangabad in 1763. The Asaf Jahi principality, an offshoot of the Mughal empire, had inherited the Delhi emperor’s trade links with Gujarati communities in the Deccan. Thus, the shift to Hyderabad saw droves of Gujaratis coming here to participate in the growth of prosperity of the new capital.

Some of the earliest Gujarati trading houses set up shop in the Golconda Fort. Community elders say William Palmer Co., the only company to have an import licence from the East India Company in Nizam’s Hyderabad, had one Gujarati merchant as a privileged shareholder. As the city grew on the foreshore of the Musi, the staunchly entrepreneurial community quickly struck root, and set up a major business centre known as Sahukari Karavan, which we now know as Karwan. The Nizams were very impressed with the Gujaratis’ business acumen and showered inam lands on the leaders of the community. The Gujarati success story was not limited to business alone and several members of the community rose to important positions in the city, starting with Raja Ranchod Rai who was on the city’s law and order committee during Mahboob Ali Pasha’s reign, to Kumud Naik who was mayor of Hyderabad in 1972.

Unlike many other communities in Hyderabad, the Gujaratis have never had an ambivalent attitude to their adopted city. Gujarat may be their homeland but Hyderabad is their karmabhoomi. They put down roots vigorously and imported aspects of their culture that would make them feel at home here. This is reflected today in the many temples and institutions the community runs here. The Kulpakji Jain temple, the Gokulnath temple at Sahukari Karavan and the Giriraj temple in Sultan Bazar, the Gujarati Maha Vidyalaya are institutions set up by a people who planned to stay long.

In so doing, Gujarat has passed into Hyderabad’s identity. Sultan Bazar is undeniably a Gujarati creation, but its buzz and bustle is unmistakably Hyderabadi. A temple tolls its bells right in the midst of frenetic commerce and a tranquil cow in the middle of the street is not unheard of. This is Hyderabad as Sultan Quli dreamt it, a ceaselessly teeming pond of fish. The Gujarati diaspora here is as Hyderabadi as any other community can claim to be. “I was born and brought up in Hyderabad. This place feels like home. I relate more easily to Hyderabad than to Gujarat,’’ says Viren Mehta, a startup businessman.

This does not mean that Gujarat is a forgotten country. It’s carried forever in the heart.“We have tried to create a small Gujarat in the twin cities to remind outselves of our culture and the colourful celebrations we have back home,’’ says Pramod Dharia, president of the Gujarati Seva Mandal, an umbrella organization that brings together Gujaratis located in different parts of the city.

There are three such organizations— Pragati Samaj, Hyderabad, Gujarati Seva Mandal, Secunderabad, and AP Gujarati Samaj— which bind together 40 of so Gujarati communities in the twin cities. The diaspora assembles at several times in the year, mainly festivals such as Navratri, Diwali, New Year, Makar Sankranti, and Janmashtami. Navratri, being the most important festival, sees the Gujaratis come into their own—nine days and nights of dancing and revelry.

The best part of being here, says Hari Menta, a hardware businessman, is that “we can retain our culture and share it with other non-Gujaratis. At the Navratri celebrations in the twin cities not only Gujaratis but people from all other communities come to celebrate.’’ No wonder it’s difficult to distinguish a Gujarati from other Hyderabadis—not when they speak the kaiku-nakko dialect that is the lingua franca of this city. The Gujjus here also little notice how Hyderabadi they’ve become until, on a visit to the homeland, the cousins titter, roll their eyes and say, ‘Haooouuuuw?’