Gifts for Bohol and Leyte

The deaf kids are were so excited when December 13 rolled around. They knew that was the day that “Mrs. Clause”, Marilou Drake, and her elves, the IDEA Philippines office staff, would be coming to their dormitories with loads of Christmas gifts.

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Marilou

Marilou and her Elves

 Most of the gifts that the team delivered were purchased with money given by the individual sponsors of the students and were specifically shopped for from wish lists sent in by the kids.  Even if the kids didn’t have a sponsor, IDEA made sure that everyone of the children got some nice presents.  There were smiles all around.

Marilou and the Elves also wished the students a Merry Christmas through caroling.  You may wonder how the students could appreciate the singing?  The carols were also interpreted in sign language and many of the students have some residual hearing so could pick up a little of the music.  In addition, all the students got new hearing aids from the Starkey Hearing Foundation just the week before so this was a chance to test them out.  A few of the kids had dramatic improvement and could hear quite a lot of the music.   Even if it wasn’t crystal clear for everyone,  it was the thought that counted.  Everyone had a great time.

The kids will be busy this week making thank you cards.  IDEA as an organization would also like to thank the sponsors for making this a Merry Christmas.

Here are a few photos of the event and also a video.

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 Starkey Hearing Foundation

and IDEA Philippines Team Up 

To Provide Hearing Aids to Bohol

December six and seven were a whirlwind couple of days at IDEA’s Dao Diamond Hotel in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.   The six member Starkey Hearing Foundation audiology team from the States plus nine audiology student volunteers from the University of Santo Tomas flew into Tagbilaran, Bohol to distribute hearing aids.  The trip to Bohol for them had some drama to it as the airplane they chartered missed the taxiway and buried one airplane wheels three feet into the mud.  Luckily the landing gear did not collapse.  Finding another flight delayed the start of the mission by more than half a day but like real troopers, they hit the ground running and  worked late into the night to fit the crowds of people who were waiting eagerly to receive the gift of  hearing aids.

Along with IDEA Philippines staff, the team was able to fit around 900 people with aids in the short two days.  Bill Austin, the founder of the Starkey Hearing Foundation and owner of Starkey Labs, lead the mission and inspired the team with his super human dedication to serve the patients and his incredible stamina.  The teams worked straight though lunch and dinner without stopping to eat in order to be able to meet the needs of the crowds.  The sacrificial attitude of the IDEA staff and Starkey Mission team was truly awesome!

Bill Austin, Founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation

The two day event was punctuated with literally hundreds and hundreds of  “AHA” moments when either someone began to hear sounds they never had heard before or someone with slowly diminished hearing was restored.  Huge smiles where on peoples faces as they exited the distribution center with their new electronic hearing devices.  Small conclaves of individuals could be seen standing around talking to each other to marvel at the improvement in understanding of speech.  In the case of the sever and profoundly deaf students, they were realizing they could hear car horns or laughter of people around them.  Just being aware of the sounds around they makes there world safer and more enjoyable even if they couldn’t understand speech.   What a special time!

THANK YOU Starkey Hearing Foundation for this amazing gift of hearing for Bohol.  THANK YOU Bill Austin.

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BDA Gets Hi-Tech Boost

For many years we have been dreaming of having a well equipped computer lab at Bohol Deaf Academy.  Our attempts have been based on used computers that were outdated by the time we got them.  Even so we did the best with what we had but time, humidity, and heat are not kind to electronic at our school so that 90% of those old computers have totally died.

The Consuelo Foundation has come to the rescue with not only new computers but also a whole list of e-skills modules for teaching vocational skills.  This list of skills range from cooking to welding  . . .  from sewing to carpentry . . . . from electronic to landscaping.  The manner in which these courses are presented on computer provide our deaf students with individual, independent study allowing them to progress at their own rate.  Along with the computer e-skills training, the students are then put into actual environments such as kitchens, wood or metal shops, hotels, sewing rooms, etc., etc. to gain practice hands on experience.

CHECK OUT THE RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY

that took place on June 17th, 2011

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It is a special place; a city on a hill with roads stretching and connecting people to education and opportunities. It boasts a deaf student body that is self-confident, talented and hopeful for the future. Many of these kids have been through some terribly difficult trials in their lives, experiences that most of us will hopefully never have to endure; and yet, they are emerging as positive, well grounded young men and women ready to take on whatever comes their way.

Their success is in no small part due to the countless hours of dedicated care by staff and the absolutely crucial financial support of sponsors. The BDA students have become who they are today because of the many of you who have made it possible. They can read, write, sign, dance, act and, most importantly, they get to be teenagers together.
The curriculum of BDA is similar to that of other high schools, but with a larger emphasis given to learning career and life skills. Students are trained to think entrepreneurially and are taught to be fiscally responsible. With the opening of the student canteen and diner, and the advent of the Technology and Livelihood Education classes, students are now able to bake, cook, serve and sell food products to the public while learning how to manage expenses and profits. This is done in an effort to increase their employability in Filipino society.
It’s a learning process, we don’t have it all right yet; but every year teachers and staff strive to improve their methods and educational systems in order to better cater to the deaf youth here in Bohol. The hope, as always, is to see to it that all of our graduating students have the confidence and abilities necessary to make it out there in the real world.

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