Expansion of the Nursery 2007
It seems that our prayers are met whenever there is strong need. This year, there was a great need to enlarge the Integrated Nursery in order to have three rooms instead of two. Usually the children of the Nursery were divided to two groups during specific working times, according to levels, and the children with hearing loss joined one of these two groups. Each group gathered in a room which is acoustically isolated from the other room with a door. However the growth of the number of children with hearing loss required the necessity to have a third group and consequently a third room.
This third room is also supposed to spread the noise on three areas instead of two. We are therefore very grateful for AMT-Netherlands who accepted to fund the enlargement of the Nursery. This room was almost finished by the end of the year 2007. It is beautiful, has a view to the garden, and is acoustically more favorable for the group of children with hearing loss.
Early Intervention Program 2007
The Early Intervention Program is serving 27 children with hearing loss, including their families. This program is quite individualized. Each family is helped in a different manner, with respect to their structure, perspective of priorities, and points of strengths and weaknesses. We try to provide the maximum we can to the family for the best benefit for the child. Two of our personnel from the Early Intervention Program left; this has caused an interruption in the program. They got married last summer of 2007 and the reason of their leaving is very much related to the economical situation. Speech therapists in Lebanon are able to have much better incomes than working as full timers at a charitable association.
This separation was not easy for the staff of the LCD, but it was even more difficult for the families of deaf children. Two new Speech Therapists joined the team of the EIP. They picked up the essentials quickly and the program is on the run again with the help of the responsible for the EIP. The EIP needs full timers because of the load of responsibilities that it carries towards the families of children with hearing loss in order to give the child what he deserves. Early Intervention carries for the therapists much more responsibilities than Speech Therapy alone.
Bazaar at the LCD during 2006
Bazaar is held every Saturday afternoon, from 4 – 8:30 pm; and 4 – 10:30 every first Saturday of the month, with live music and songs. The idea of the bazaar is to support the LCD, while giving the chance to deaf people to sell their own products, drawings, etc. It is generally surrounded with a cozy atmosphere, fun, and is placed in the garden of the LCD. If you are in the neighborhood, please pass by.
Training for the Teachers of the Deaf, Cairo, Egypt
The Learning Center for the Deaf was honored that Nadine and Hussein were invited to give lectures as guest speakers to 60 teachers of the deaf, held in the Deaf Unit, Cairo, Egypt, during July 20th – 23rd, 2007. As part of her training program, the Director of the Deaf Unit, Mrs. Clair Ghais, used to be Hussein’s teachers in his teen years. It was a special experience to be in Cairo. The teachers come from different churches, all over the Egyptian country, which serve deaf children in their own communities. Some of the teachers are experienced and others are under training. Few teachers were deaf themselves.
In general, our teaching was a fulfilling experience as these teachers learned much from us. Hussein gave lessons concerning deaf issues, education, linguistic human rights, modes of communication, experiences, etc. While, Nadine gave lessons related to Early Intervention and matters in education.
