After a short interval, Insight centre is once again abuzz with action. Our 10th batch of students hit the town on 8 June 2011. We have 20 fresh faces so far and one more will soon join the team.
Insight organized a two-day training programme on accessible technology at the LBS Centre for Science and Technology in Kalamassery. Five members of the LBS staff attended the programme that began on 8 June 2011. Insight master trainers handled the sessions. LBS is an autonomous institution run by the Government of Kerala for the promotion of science and technology. The Kalamassery centre is soon to launch a project for training the visually challenged and hence the orientation programme for the staff.
Insight in association with State Women’s Forum of the Kerala Federation of the Blind conducted a workshop on accessible technology in Malappuram. The Akshaya centre in Mongum was the venue of the week-long programme that was inaugurated on 5 June. Seventeen participants attended the workshop. Malappuram MLA Sri. Ubaidulla, Kondotti MLA Sri. Muhammed Unni Haji, Block Panchayath President Sri. T T Koyammu and KFB Women’s Forum President K P Sharafunneesa attended the closing ceremony.
The classes for the ninth batch of students concluded on 30 May 2011. Insight staff gave a felicitous farewell to its students on the day. The IGNOU examination for the batch that comprised 33 students were held on two consecutive days, starting 31 May. Prof. T. U. K. Menon, programme-in-charge officer, IGNOU, administered the exam procedures. Those who qualify the test will receive an IGNOU certificate.
A second round of Summer Magic 2, summer day camp for children with special needs, was held at the Insight centre for children in the humid month of May. The camp that began on 16 May 2011 was conducted for young men and women, those above 13 years of age. The enthusiasm and understanding Insight gained from Summer Magic 1 provided the means to accomplish the purpose of the camp. The motto of the camp was to aid special children develop social skills and Summer Magic 2 served to lay a worthy start. The activities in the camp was on the order of the first camp, except they were fashioned to meet the cognitive abilities of the participants. Motivational speaker Brahma Nayakam led off the camp with an ice-breaking session. On the other days, the camp begin with a one hour session on yoga and meditation. This was followed by gardening, music and ICT sessions. On alternate days, the camp offered arts & crafts, games and listening period, in which the participants were read out a passage and were made to fill out a worksheet based on it. They relished the puppetry lessons by Subin, a puppeteer from Malappuram. And also blissfully played their roles in a skit “The Unfruitful Tree”. On 21 May, the final day of Summer Magic, children went on a magical quest with Preeth, a budding magician. The camp came to a close with counselling session for parents. Children performed a song for the parents and gifted them with Thank You cards they had created. The feedback we received from the parents gives credentials to the recognition of the camp. Most of the parents remarked that as the camp progressed, the children were eager to attend the camp. Some of the parents even noted that after the camp, the children were be observed to be interacting more with others. This encouragement is what keeps Insight going and guides us to go ahead and realize our ideals.