Four German students spent 11 months as part of a scholarship programme at Poona School and Home for the Blind Trust.
The next time you walk into the Poona School and Home for the Blind Trust (PSHBT), don’t be bemused if the children out there greet you in German.
This is the effect that four German students — Jesko Goetteng, Leopold Volk, Nils Titze and Floriam Stuhler — have had on these children.
The students spent 11 months with these visually impaired students as part of a scholarship programme, ‘International Bund’, sponsored by the German government.
“In Germany, when one turns 18 and is done with schooling, we are made to join the army or asked to go through some social service programmes. We chose the latter and came down to India to undergo our exercise,” said Goetteng.
Their programme has now ended and they would leave for Germany on Saturday.
According to PSHBT administrative officer, SS Gujar, this was the second batch of German students contributing to activities carried out by the trust.
“These students gelled well with the deprived children, taught them skills they knew, and in return learnt a lot from these children as well,” Gujar told DNA.
These German students also learnt to speak some Marathi while making conversation.
“Though we came to Pune with some European arrogance, these children taught us about how one can remain happy,” said Stuhler, who could even sing the song, Sheila ki jawani, with a little help from the students.
The entire 11 months at the PSHBT saw these German students helping the blind children in their daily chores, from bathing to serving food.
Besides, they even made a treehouse and a football ground for the visually impaired, which were unknown to these deprived students before.
When DNA visited the PSHBT campus on Thursday, they could even see the German students and the PSHBT students playing a football match.
According to the PSHBT students, their ‘German friends’ helped them get over their inhibitions about life and increased their confidence.
“I was afraid of water and was not fluent in English before. But these guys helped me get over my fear of water and I love swimming now,” said Fahim Raj Mohammad in fluent English, who is a student of PSHBT.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}