Blind and borderless – Tenberken shows the light
Pulkit Vasudha
Ahmedabad, November 23 Sabriye Tenberken can read and write in the dark. She even teaches her students to do the same. No, Tenberken does not possess miraculous powers, nor does she belong to the world of wizardry. She is blind, but as she says, that doesn’t prevent her from being a visionary.Along with her partner Paul Kronenberg, Tenberken runs the ‘Braille Without Borders’ initiative for blind children in Tibet. By June next year, Tenberken’s ‘dream factory’, an International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs (IISE), will open its doors to blind and sighted persons from all over the world amidst the backwaters of Kerala.
Set on the banks of Vellayani Lake in Thiruvananthapuram, IISE will spread the message of ‘Braille Without Borders’ by facilitating an exchange of ideas and honing the management skills among its students and trainers to groom them as social entrepreneurs. Every year, 40 students from all over the world will learn management, project planning, public speaking and soft skills which will equip them in kicking off a startup project in their own countries, within their own contexts.
“The institute is for those who have a passion and the perseverance to do a lot of problem solving. We believe blind people are naturally good problem solvers and they should not just limit themselves to being beneficiaries in society. In fact, they have a lot to give to society and should be given the opportunity to do so,” says Tenberken.
Tenberken said she started her initiative during a trip to Tibet with Kronenberg. They found that the blind children there were regarded as cursed and hidden away in dark rooms, tied to cots or were even sold by their parents. It was then that the couple started a training centre to teach the first batch of six children mobility and Braille techniques so that they could be better integrated into society. As there was no Braille system in Tibetan, she herself developed a system according to the script. She says now she uses the same system to teach Chinese, English and Tibetan to her students now.
According to Tenberken and Kronenberg, ‘Braille Without Borders’ initiative has helped in achieving high literacy levels among blind children in Tibet. “Often our blind students tell us they are proud to be blind because they are the only ones in their families or their villages who can read and write in three different languages!” says Tenkerben.
Kronenberg also cites the example of Nobu, who wanted to be a taxi driver when he was eight, but after being in the school for two years now, has realised that though he cannot realise his dreams, he can at least some time in the future, run a taxi company.
Apart from children, the programme also imparts training to blind adults in vocational skills, which can help in integrating them into the society. They are trained as physiotherapists, masseurs, in farming, animal husbandry and many other vocations integral to Tibetan culture.
Source: Indian Express