April 17, 2011

A day with children..


I was in Anjanisain after a long gap. After rain, everything looked clean and beautiful in the mountains all around me. Had some time, so I spent it with (APV) school children. Showed them "Courage to speak" - a Canadian film about three children who stammer- one of them is Caroline, who decides to participate in the annual elocution contest- and the wonderful speech therapist who helps and prepare her for the task (on a side note, why do I see all the good, I mean really GOOD, speech therapists in the west alone?)..
Then, I showed them a few clips of "The front of the class". The message was- as summarsied by Mohan guru ji: You can tackle any problem with hard work!
This is a "Child centered" school (yes, really child centered- unlike many Charities which use the term like a takiya kalam in beautiful brochures..), where child and its best interests are at the core of everything which is done in the school..

Many stammerers ask me - What shall I do for my speech?
This is what they can do. Learn about stammering and share your knowledge with others selflessly. Talk about it.. talk, talk, talk..

Okay, get ready for Goa! Get your swim wear out and get in shape!

PS: later that day, I lobbed this question at a group of unsuspecting students from Delhi and - God bless him!- one student answered correctly and saved the day for us stutterers! "What is common between Golmaal 3 and The King's speech?" Ha ha ha..
Later one student told me that they never never laugh at a stammerer- and of course I believe him. But I asked, has any student ever stammered in assembly or wherever? - Answer was no! It seems anti-stammering policy is being implemented faithfully in this school representing the cream of our society! Eh?

2 comments:

J P Sunda said...

Finding a good SLP in India...I think that should be your next challenge :) ...I am looking forward to visit this school in July!

Manohar said...

west is all about out and out marketing, east is content. that's what vedas (osho too) say. Just because we do not know about a good SLP in India does not mean they do no exist at all. I am not taking sides, but that was a piece of my mind.