How do I say “I Love you?”
The first ever Deaf Camp on the theme “Every Human Has Rights” finally came into fruition after months of coordination and preparation between the Stairway Foundation and volunteer Deaf teachers and Interpreters. The Deaf Camp gathered together Deaf and Hearing youth at the Stairway learning center in Puerto Galera, Mindoro Occidental, Philippines, from 12th to 14th of May 2009.
Stairway and volunteer Deaf facilitators and Interpreters led sessions that began with Deaf Awareness Orientation and understanding the Deaf language of signs, and concluded with a heartwarming sharing of feelings and realizations that bridged that gap between the Deaf and Hearing.
Young participants from beneficiary communities of Stairway’s scholarship program and universities in Manila, aged 12 to 17, immersed themselves in thought-provoking group discussions that confronted the alienations the Deaf youth frequently face. While part of the objective was for Hearing participants to hear out the Deaf, it was the Hearing that benefited more from the sessions as they discovered the beauty of sign language, along with the fun and challenge in learning it.
__________________
Thought-provoking sessions dig deep into the world of the Deaf.
_________________
__________
Visual art activities as an integral part of learning and building friendships.
___________
