For many, teaching is just another job. But Sister Abhaya Francis of Kalady in Kerala took up teaching to empower speech and hearing impaired children, and she has been transforming the lives of thousands of such children for the last three decades.
At St Clare Oral HSS for the deaf in Manickamangalam, where she joined as a teacher in 1993 after completing a course in teaching the hearing impaired in 1992, this noble heart has not only been helping children with speech and hearing impairment to read and write but also making them self-reliant.
Sister Abhaya joined the school, driven by a desire to serve those in need and dedicate her life to teaching them how to read, write, and become self-reliant. “Earlier, we trained the children only to read and write. But we realised that these children need to be given special training to boost their confidence and help them integrate into the mainstream society. We now also focus on making them self-reliant so that they stay strong throughout their life,” Sister Abhaya said.
The school, which is now home to over 230 students who have come from different parts of the country, has developed unique teaching methods, offering classes from LKG level to graduation.
She believes that empowering her students with the ability to read and write is just the first step; teaching them to be self-reliant is equally crucial. “These children are as capable as a normal child. They just need the right tools and support,” she said.
Sister Abhaya also serves as a language interpreter for the deaf in court hearings and provides matrimonial support and pre-marital counselling.
As Sister Abhaya continues her mission, she stands as a testament to the profound impact one dedicated individual can make on the lives of many.
