Shishur Sevay

 A society’s treatment of its most vulnerable population, children, people with mental disabilities, people with physical disabilities …. these are all an expression of a society’s view of human life and its worth.   What makes a life worth saving? 

Shishur Sevay’s position is that all children deserve an education, whether or not she will ever achieve independence.  The decision is to feed their brains as we feed their bodies.  The education is designed to impart knowledge and skills.  Equally important is developing ways the children can communicate their feelings and needs to us. We want to know what THEY want to tell US as much as what we think they should know.

    

They can tell us when they are happy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When they are sad…

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But they cannot tell us what they are thinking… what worries them of makes them smile.  They cannot tell us what they dreamed the night before.

  

RANI’S STORY

This is Rani standing on her own for the first time, thanks to being urged on..   The older girl said to us later, “I had a little sister and I taught her to stand like that..”  They have a special bond. 

When Rani came she didn’t make eye contact.  She mostly wanted to spin in circles, bang her head, hit, bite, scream, and indulge in very bad social habits.  Keeping her safe and clean required a full time childcare worker.

Rani had two serious hospitalizations in 2008 and 2009 for seizures.  Her encephalopathy, has improved over time, evidenced in her behavior and confirmed by her EEG.

 Rani is affectionate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rani goes out to the bus stop each morning with the school girls.    The other children and their mothers love seeing her.  They talk to her, take her hands, and all the children wave to her as they get on the bus.  Rani is part of our lives, part of the life of our community, and Rani has a life.   Rani is “differently abled” but then everyone is really a bit differently abled.