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US non-profit partners
Pingalwara efforts
WSN Network
 Amritsar:
Home of Hope (HOH), a non-profit based in the
US,
has partnered the turnaround of many a mute lives at the All India
Pingalwara Charitable Society. The association dates to 2006.
These were
children from underprivileged families, abandoned by their parents
and taken by the Trust in its care.
Hearing and
speech impaired, they have grown from learning to express themselves
to algebra-solving computer literates, dancers, painters and what
you will.
Today, they are
children with normal lives even as challenges persist, fewer
however.
The Bhagat Puran
Singh School for Deaf and Dumb, which the Trust runs, deserves the
credit.
The school
started out in May 2005, with 14 special students who came to learn
the sign language. The children had no formal education. It is a
school of 31 today , studying three levels – nursery, primary and
senior classes.
In 2006, Home of
Hope provided funds for a laptop, 4 desktop computers, a 32 inch LCD
TV and other audio equipment.
The audio-visual
aided teaching techniques have done wonders for the children.
They recognise
alphabets, numbers and even sms friends on mobile phones. While the
children aged 5-8 years learn to add numbers and frame words, those
in the higher age group are doing math, writing essays, painting and
more. Officials say they are happier.
“Impressive, and
amazing” is what Nilima Sabharwal, MD and founder of Home of Hope,
had to say of the marked improvement in the children during her
recent visit.
Kamaljit, a
hearing and speech challenged child, performed classical dance for
Sabharwal, while the others displayed their skills on computers and
other electronic gadgets.
“Pingalwara
seems to be one of those charitable projects that gives you the
feeling that your donations are being well utilised,” said Sabharwal,
who undertakes yearly review of the project.
“In just three
years, there has been a complete change in the children. Way beyond
our expectations,” she said.
Sabharwal said
that the aim of the NGO was to provide children with the hope to
survive in this competitive environment.
“And, it is
happening here.” This year, HOH will fund the salaries of eight
full-time teachers, including a com puter teacher, and equipment
including field amplification systems, group hearing aid system and
the latest computer software for the hearing impaired.
Many of the
hearing impaired children have made great strides in developing
communication skills at speech therapy programmes, said Dr Inderjit
Kaur, president of All India Pingawara Charitable society.
For this, former
army officers R.P. Singh and Col D.S. Bawa (retd), who help run the
school, deserve credit, she said. They stand for the Trust’s strong
commitment, passion and expertise in the field, and the absolute
devotion of its teachers, two of whom are hearing impaired, she
added.
“Even as most of
the students are abandoned and Pingalwara Trust inmates, we also
offer training to special kids from poor families that cannot pay
for the special education,” said Col Bawa.
Students are now
coming from as far as Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Bathinda and
other regions, he adds. “We are flooded with applications this time,
but will select children from underprivileged families,” he stated.
18
March 2009
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