May 28th 2018
In continuation of our attempt to revitalize as many prior connections with local organizations as possible, we spent the afternoon visiting the NAB School for the Blind. This school is an NGO dedicated to providing education and training for the visually impaired. Our contact Shalani, the head of the organization, comes off as an eternally dedicated devotee to this cause and spares no time in sharing her passion. She runs the school with an affectionate but disciplined tone, and really wanted to vet Becca and I before just agreeing to have volunteers come onboard. The school has had great success providing students with a high level of education, on par with other specialized schools located in the major urban areas of India. This is something Shalini particularly prides herself upon, as for many who grow up in this region, there simply is not a possibility of relocating to a major city to attend one of these specialized schools, or being able to afford the costs associated. Shalani is routinely working to learn and practice the most current and effective teaching methods for the visually impaired. Beyond the guidelines being distributed by the major institutions, she looks to endow a bit of personal philosophy to the students at the NAB School for the blind. As a firm believer in self satisfaction and accomplishment, often preached is an understanding that the ability to achieve is based on your desire to do so. She speaks of the harsh realities of living life as someone visually impaired in India, and although she maintains positivity for the future, she looks to focus on preparing the students for the now.
Discussed during our initial meeting was what the Kullu Project hoped to achieve by working with the NAB Schoool for the Blind, a bit of our personal experiences and backgrounds, and what the school’s particular needs might be going forward. Unexpectedly, but not unwelcomed, there was mention of the potential to provide support promoting the school and its efforts. There was also discussion of eventually looking to link a volunteer who was a recent graduate and looking for experience in management of an NGO, as Shalani thought she may be a valuable resource, and might also be able to learn from someone who had just spent significant time learning the most current strategies. As far as Becca and I are concerned, our interactions will mostly be providing a bit of entertainment and helping with conversational English development. Becca, as a professional singer, will also have the opportunity to work with a few students who are either already studying singing, or are interested in the art.
After our discussion, we were able to spend a few hours meeting with the staff and students. The student’s ages vary significantly from small children to young adults. We were warmly welcomed by all, and found that the enthusiasm for learning emanated throughout the school. We feel that there is a lot of potential for the Kullu project to have a positive impact here, and we look forward to working towards a productive partnership in the future.
In continuation of our attempt to revitalize as many prior connections with local organizations as possible, we spent the afternoon visiting the NAB School for the Blind. This school is an NGO dedicated to providing education and training for the visually impaired. Our contact Shalani, the head of the organization, comes off as an eternally dedicated devotee to this cause and spares no time in sharing her passion. She runs the school with an affectionate but disciplined tone, and really wanted to vet Becca and I before just agreeing to have volunteers come onboard. The school has had great success providing students with a high level of education, on par with other specialized schools located in the major urban areas of India. This is something Shalini particularly prides herself upon, as for many who grow up in this region, there simply is not a possibility of relocating to a major city to attend one of these specialized schools, or being able to afford the costs associated. Shalani is routinely working to learn and practice the most current and effective teaching methods for the visually impaired. Beyond the guidelines being distributed by the major institutions, she looks to endow a bit of personal philosophy to the students at the NAB School for the blind. As a firm believer in self satisfaction and accomplishment, often preached is an understanding that the ability to achieve is based on your desire to do so. She speaks of the harsh realities of living life as someone visually impaired in India, and although she maintains positivity for the future, she looks to focus on preparing the students for the now.
Discussed during our initial meeting was what the Kullu Project hoped to achieve by working with the NAB Schoool for the Blind, a bit of our personal experiences and backgrounds, and what the school’s particular needs might be going forward. Unexpectedly, but not unwelcomed, there was mention of the potential to provide support promoting the school and its efforts. There was also discussion of eventually looking to link a volunteer who was a recent graduate and looking for experience in management of an NGO, as Shalani thought she may be a valuable resource, and might also be able to learn from someone who had just spent significant time learning the most current strategies. As far as Becca and I are concerned, our interactions will mostly be providing a bit of entertainment and helping with conversational English development. Becca, as a professional singer, will also have the opportunity to work with a few students who are either already studying singing, or are interested in the art.
After our discussion, we were able to spend a few hours meeting with the staff and students. The student’s ages vary significantly from small children to young adults. We were warmly welcomed by all, and found that the enthusiasm for learning emanated throughout the school. We feel that there is a lot of potential for the Kullu project to have a positive impact here, and we look forward to working towards a productive partnership in the future.
Michael
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