Khanh Hoa Deaf Club has been operating for more than 8 years as a social and cultural hub where deaf people join together and share life skills. However, there remain some difficulties in its operation...
Khanh Hoa Deaf Club has been operating for more than 8 years as a social and cultural hub where deaf people join together and share life skills. However, there remain some difficulties in its operation.
Community integration effort
Khanh Hoa Deaf Club, formerly known as Blue Sea Club, has 30 members, is organized by teachers of Khanh Hoa Rehabilitation Education Center for Disabled Children. Over 8 years, the club has provided support for the members to have access to necessary knowledge and information, focusing on hearing disability benefits, basic communication skills, sign languages, etc.
Deaf people suffer from impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks and skills. “For example, it took us nearly 2 hours to teach them about wearing helmets while on motorbikes, says Nguyen Hoang Phuong Linh, Head of the club. In addition, the club has also provided daily support for people with hearing loss. The club has founded facebook for the members to connect and share with others in life.
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Hearing loss presents communication barriers. We hardly express our feelings and emotions completely, thus suffer from stress and depression in families and society. However, we can share our feeling and be understood by other members, Do Nguyen Doan, a member of the club expresses.
At present, the club organizes activities twice a month at Khanh Hoa Children’s House, helping club members to become more confident in communication and find suitable jobs. Some members are working as tailors, barbers, craftsmen, etc, earning VND3-4 million a month. Dao Quang Loc and Bui Bich Thanh, met at the club and become life partners. Dao Quang Loc learned haircut and Bui Bich Thanh learned sewing. Dao Quang Loc becomes the owner of a haircut salon on Phuong Sai Street and Bui Bich Thanh is a tailoress on Thai Nguyen Street. Dao Quang Loc has also provided vocational training for other club members.
In need of support from community
The club is operating mainly on its members’ contribution of VND10,000/month each. There are poor, old aged members. Therefore, besides its main tasks to improve knowledge and skills, the club has visits to the disadvantaged and takes part in sports activities annually held by other deaf clubs.
However, the club has few activities due to lack of fund, so the club hopes to have enough funding to open a sign language class which is very necessary for the deaf and hard of hearing. Besides, through the class, they can be provided soft skills and problem-solving skills to gain more confidence at work and in everyday communication, the directorate hopes.
Mai Hoang
Translated by N.T
