Against all odds

Sixteen-year-old Lokesh Saxena is deaf. He also cannot see, so sign language passes him by. Twenty-year-old Pradeep Sinha is a similar case. And yet, they have toiled through nights to make items like jewellery and candles. And to showcase this talent, the Hellen Keller Institute for the Deaf and Deafblind, Byculla, is holding its first ever exhibition-cum-sale.

quot;The exhibition is one way to make these youngsters realise that despite their physical challenges, their efforts are being appreciated and products accepted,quot; says Behroz Vacha, director of this two-decade-old NGO. According to Jayshree Tammal, arts-crafts-communication teacher at the institute, teachers set patterns and place the stones Hyderabadi pearls, turquoise, amethyst and lazuli in different bowls and explain the designs to students through tactile language. While Zamir Dhale 23, Reny Matthews 24 and Mary Ansa 23 enjoy making designs on their own, deafblind students like Lokesh, Gauri Kurtadkar 16, Mary and Vandana Gupta 16 canfinish seven to 10 pre-set necklaces in a day. While Anie Matthews 22 specialises in making earrings and can make up to 20 pairs per day, Pradeep and Reny make candles independently, right from heating wax, to adding colour and filling moulds. quot; The school has played a major part in helping us see that we also have a future,quot; communicates Anie. quot;These youngsters are all deafblind. No hyphen, no oblique. Just deafblind, but much more than just the combination of deafness and blindness. It8217;s like a blue and yellow mix not to form blue-yellow, but green,quot; says Vacha. quot;These children would have lived their entire lives in confused isolation. But due to specialised, individual, training programmes they have reached this stage where independence boosts their self-esteem,quot; she adds. At the Cymroza Art Gallery, Bhulabhai Desai Rd. From September 17 to 20, 1998. Time: 10.00 am to 7.00 pm.