Last night I met a very interesting lady, who came to braid my sisters' hair. Initially, she was reluctant to come out of her shell and said very few words when I tried to interact with her. I thought she was either rude or the kind that had so little to say. I left the company of the hair dresser and my sister so they could carry on with the business of the day.
In my room I heard the hair dresser chatting, laughing and giggling as she carried on with my sister, so then I interrupted again, I made a joke, said I loved her laughter and she smiled. After a few such banters, which become a game of trying to get her to smile as a bet, she her jovially refused. Mind you, each time she lost and couldn't stop herself from smiling.
The conversation moved on to the reason why she left school early to become a hair dresser and an explanation of why she was so withdrawn, when I started interacting with her. This beautiful lady said something I found very poignant, her fear of her grasp of the English language meant she felt very uncomfortable in environments and situations where she would have to express an opinion so no restaurants for her she said.
She then added, 'I left school early because I just couldn't get what I was being taught; it all just went over my head and felt very frustrating when others around could just pick things we were being taught with ease. After a while I told my Dad I was going to quit schooling and learn a trade, at least that would secure my future'. For what she did with my sisters hair, I would gladly say she has indeed secured her future with a trade and skill she is very good with.
However, I couldn't but hear the faint silent whisper, of loud regret she felt for not furthering her education to a level that would have made her comfortable and confident in expressing her views in a social sense and even building a progressive business and expanding.
Was her issue with the difficulty she felt learning at school a result of dyslexia?
Does she even know what that word is?
Has she ever heard of such a word and what could it have meant for her;
In her days at school while she was struggling to comprehend what she was being thought.
In a culture where the very bright are praised, "credit given where credit is due" and every one else is stigmatized with the notion of failure and unwillingness to self help, without any notion and understanding of dyslexia by the teachers and parents, who form the supporting structure. How does one, swim against such high tied and make it to the other end.
Dey-help is a new charity organisation, which aims to help bring awareness and educate students, parents, teachers and others in such situations; organisations with stakeholder interest in the development of the most valuable resource a country can have. In case you are wondering what that resources is, it is education.
Attached below is a link to a questionnaire, which is to help establish the real issue on the ground and develop tools to facilitate the change needed. I would be grateful if you the reader could fill the questionnaire and also forward it to as many friends, colleges and family members as possible, we need the communities support to make this a success.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGMxUXpvSE1mSU1HWlFfNy1md0xNZmc6MQ
In my room I heard the hair dresser chatting, laughing and giggling as she carried on with my sister, so then I interrupted again, I made a joke, said I loved her laughter and she smiled. After a few such banters, which become a game of trying to get her to smile as a bet, she her jovially refused. Mind you, each time she lost and couldn't stop herself from smiling.
The conversation moved on to the reason why she left school early to become a hair dresser and an explanation of why she was so withdrawn, when I started interacting with her. This beautiful lady said something I found very poignant, her fear of her grasp of the English language meant she felt very uncomfortable in environments and situations where she would have to express an opinion so no restaurants for her she said.
She then added, 'I left school early because I just couldn't get what I was being taught; it all just went over my head and felt very frustrating when others around could just pick things we were being taught with ease. After a while I told my Dad I was going to quit schooling and learn a trade, at least that would secure my future'. For what she did with my sisters hair, I would gladly say she has indeed secured her future with a trade and skill she is very good with.
However, I couldn't but hear the faint silent whisper, of loud regret she felt for not furthering her education to a level that would have made her comfortable and confident in expressing her views in a social sense and even building a progressive business and expanding.
Was her issue with the difficulty she felt learning at school a result of dyslexia?
Does she even know what that word is?
Has she ever heard of such a word and what could it have meant for her;
In her days at school while she was struggling to comprehend what she was being thought.
In a culture where the very bright are praised, "credit given where credit is due" and every one else is stigmatized with the notion of failure and unwillingness to self help, without any notion and understanding of dyslexia by the teachers and parents, who form the supporting structure. How does one, swim against such high tied and make it to the other end.
Dey-help is a new charity organisation, which aims to help bring awareness and educate students, parents, teachers and others in such situations; organisations with stakeholder interest in the development of the most valuable resource a country can have. In case you are wondering what that resources is, it is education.
Attached below is a link to a questionnaire, which is to help establish the real issue on the ground and develop tools to facilitate the change needed. I would be grateful if you the reader could fill the questionnaire and also forward it to as many friends, colleges and family members as possible, we need the communities support to make this a success.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGMxUXpvSE1mSU1HWlFfNy1md0xNZmc6MQ
How many kids are struggling in school, because the teacher does not know how to teach a Dyslexic?
ReplyDelete