Solutions

It is a fine line between accepting what you cannot change and passivity. Demotivated by my own inability to implement simple improvements, I decided to be try a new approach and seek external support. I emailed as many local and international organisations working with blind children as I could find on the net, as well as Indian, Canadian and American speech therapists and special needs teachers. After a cyber silence and feeling utterly isolated I began to receive some incredibly helpful and suggestive replies, which have once again kick started me into a more pro-active stance.

One of the hardest challenges to tackle is that the Sister in charge of the disabled children at Sishu Bhavan, does not want any of the children to receive special help. After several months of watching her work and handle the complaints of the volunteers about the treatment of the children I realise that she is quite the diplomat, that is until she feels volunteers are acting on their own initiative. When Climber Woman was here last year, attempting to use her training as a speech therapist to work with Deepa, her greatest fight was not against Deepa's silence but against the Sister's reluctance that she should be receiving 'special treatment'. This provided an added challenge to try and circumnavigate and I began by asking the Sister what she thought Sishu Bhavan needed in terms of practical assistance. Her initial reply was 'disposable nappies' (for when the children are admitted to hospital, so it is no longer appropriate to use the material subsitutes) and 'orthotic shoes' (for the many children who have distorted limbs).

When I enquired about whether another speech therapist would be useful, she agreed that the current cost of the weekly session provided by the Bengali Speech and Hearing Chamber, was an extortionate one thousand rupess (£14/ $22). I asked if it would be useful for her if I managed to raise money for another weekly session, and if so whether this could mean that Deepa and the other blind children would finally have access to what is for them an essential service. After she agreed and with a timely donation from a friend from Bali, I was able to give her enough money for four months of additional speech therapy lessons.

For safe measure I went to visit the Bengali Speech and Hearing Chamber, and met with the speech therpaist who works at Sishu Bhavan. He told me that he had briefly began to work with Deepa and the blind children. However, they required much longer sessions than the sighted children, so a decision was taken to exclude them from the therapy. He confirmed that the Sister had now asked for a second weekly session, and assured me that he will begin to work with the blind children.

Other aventues I have been exploring stem from a email reply from Sight Savers International (SSI). Perhaps their reply was due to our mutual origins of Scotland, but either way they provided an essential life line - the address of their branch in Kolkata. In the past weeks I have visited SSI-Kolkata several times, and they have been unbelievably helpful. They have ladened me with stacks of reading materials in English, Bengali and Hindi, as well as summaries of their world wide projects to share with Sishu Bhavan and Daya Dan (another of the Missionaries of Charities homes with blind children in their care). SSI have a mandate which includes the prevention of the unnecessary loss of sight, the education of blind and low vision children, as well as the social inclusion of individuals affected by blindness. In West Bengal SSI run the first centre for blind children with multiple disabilities, and immediately offered to accomodate Deepa and the other of the blind children. Knowing the Missionaries of Charities reluctance to let go of the kids in its care, it is an offer full of potential but devoid of any relevance. However, SSI also run two week long trainings for caregivers of blind children. They offered to pay for the Sisters and massis from both Sishu Bhavan and Daya Dan to attend their next training in April. The training will be held in Bengali. This is perfect for the massis, who have limited Hindi and no English, and it would be a step in the right direction to changing their attitudes towards the blind children, from one of 'disabled' victims to children with incredible talents, creative vision and limitless potential.

SSI also offered to provide low vision aids such as telescopes and walking sticks free of cost; this would be brilliant for the little Chinese boy. They also invited me to visit their many centres across India and were genuinely very eager to assist me in my search for the provision of life skills and basic education for the blind children at Sishu Bhavan.

After every visit to SSI I left feeling a little less lonely in my battle to open unnecessary closed doors for Deepa and the blind babies. However, approaching the Sister has been a little harder (or actually impossible) as she has been hidden away on a religious retreat for what feels like an eternity. I mentioned my visits to another of the Sisters, but despite her enthusiasm she is not the one which calls the shots, but perhaps it did a little to build up my imaginary support base. I did however visit Daya Dan to talk with the Sister about SSI's offers. Her immediate response for the free training was the dubious claim that her workers were already 'trained', although she had no objections to receiving some free low vision aids.

As always, the way is not clear from obstacles, but I will continue to raise money for the speech therapy lessons which I wish the Missionaries of Charity had the foresight to provide, and continue to try and build a relationship with a potentially powerful organisation with the skills and training urgently needed at Sishu Bhavan.