2 how can i help my child?
She’s such a
good child. She
almost never
cries.
Because Kamala did not
play as other children her age
did, and had not learned to
care for herself, her arms and
legs never grew strong. When
other children her age were
learning to stand and walk,
Kamala’s legs were too weak
to support her weight.
When she was old enough to start school, Kamala’s parents carried
her to the schoolhouse. But school frightened her, because she had
never been away from home. Day after day Kamala sat in class and
cried. If the teacher spoke to her she would not answer. Finally, Suma
and Anil decided that school was not helping Kamala and stopped
taking her. But they worried about her future. “If she can’t get an
education, how will she live? Who will take care of her when we
are gone?”
Rani
Rani is a little blind girl,
born in another village in
India. When her parents
Jeevan and Aruna learned
their baby was blind, Rani’s
grandmother Baka said, “We
should do everything we can
to teach this baby. Look at me.
I lost my sight 5 years ago. I
can still do most of the things
I used to do. I still bring water
from the well. I still milk the
goats.”
“But you could already do
all those things before you
went blind,” Jeevan replied.
“How could a blind baby
learn?”
“We must help her
learn,” Baka answered him.
“Just as I’ve learned to do
things by sound and touch,
so Rani must learn.”
I can help Rani learn
how to do things, since I
know what it’s like to be
blind. Maybe the health
worker will have some
ideas, too.
helping children who are blind