(Preface: The symbols used in this post are from Widgit, a symbolic language for people who have difficulty with reading. At Shishur Sevay we use it to communicate with our children who are language impaired. As one types a word, the symbol appears, as well as a voice of the letters and the word, or a sentence is that is what has been written. Our website, www.shishursevay.org, still under construction, will be accessible for hearing impaired, visually impaired, and the addition of Widgit for language impairment. We have obtained all the necessary licenses, and as usual, I am the hold up in getting content to the web people. My hats runneth over. One day I will be able to blog that in Widgit. This post will be a page in the website.)
Shishur Sevay is envisioned as the “Mother House” of the girls. Consistent with Indian tradition, we will give them in marriage if they wish, and we will celebrate their husbands on Jamai Shasthi. Shishur Sevay is the home in which they grew up. Some may leave to get married; some may leave to work and have independent lives; some may work and come home to mother house; some may stay and take care of children at Shishur Sevay. Our goal is for them to be employable, marriageable, and able to achieve success, independence, security, and happiness. From our mission statement: Competence, Confidence, and Independence.
Among the girls, the futures they want include teaching, dancing, becoming a doctor, a scientist, a mathematician, orphanage director, childcare worker, wife, mother —
Some of the girls have already expressed a commitment to their younger sisters with disabilities. One girl was asked what she wanted to do in the future. She responded, “Well, I have four sisters to take care of, so I want to have a good job.”
The goal of Shishur Sevay is to stretch the boundaries of expectations for orphans, particularly girl orphans who started their education late, i.e. Late Learners. Therefore their futures will be shaped by what we and they are able to accomplish.
Our girls who have not been able to move forward in school are being given vocational training in care of children with disabilities so they can become assistants to special educators, and/or skilled caretakers of children with disabilities. That is the focus on capabilities, finding what they can do.
The children with disabilities, the four youngest, will never live independently. They will most likely remain at Shishur Sevay, even as Shishur Sevay evolves and re-defines itself over time, a natural process. We have promised we will never separate the big girls from their younger sisters, and they have pledged their commitment to their younger sisters. These discussions came up in the context of adoption. We are not an adoption home, but at times people have asked about adoption. We will not break up this family. This is our promise to our children.
Widgit Symbols (c) copyright Widgit Software 2011 http://www.widgit.com
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