Leonel Update

 Leonel Update

Peru

This year, the Peruvian government issued a new policy of "integration", stating that children with a variety of special needs would, in march, be integrated into the regular school system. In someways this will be very positive, but everyone is a little wary of this new policy as teachers, students and families have had little to no
time to prepare. Leonel, for example, is a 6 year old child who has been deaf since birth, and currently attends the special needs school run by Kiya Survivors in Urubamba, Peru. He is one of the students who is benefiting from the transport service run by MySmallHelp, as he lives about 15 minutes from Ollantaytambo and uses the bus to get to school everyday. Leonel doesn't speak and barely knows any sign language. His parents have never had enough money to pay for his hearing aids. Leonel is a very bright and extremely active six year old, but without any linguistic skills, entering first grade in March is going to be extremely difficult.


Thanks to very generous donations from friends and family in Canada, I was able to take Leonel to the clinic on Monday, we bought his hearing aid! On the doctor’s recommendation, he’s only using one at the moment, and only at school, where the teachers can keep an eye on him as he gets used to wearing it.

Learning to speak is going to be a long and difficult process at his age, but last night I went for dinner (roast guinea pig) at his house with his whole family, we went through how to use and care for the hearing aids, and different activities they can to with him to help develop his speech. I believe I have also found a speech therapist who will be able to work with him once a week.

Leonel has been amazing about having the hearing aid in. He’s taking good care of it, taking the batteries out and storing it everyday after school. He gives me a huge smile and points to his ear every time I come visit, so proud that he’s keeping it safe. His mom says that he’s become more vocal, even when he’s at home. Over the Christmas holidays he’s going to take the hearing aid home for the first time and his whole family has committed to making sure he uses it and stores it properly.  They’re all very curious about this faraway group of people who have come together to provide something so important to their family. I always tell them how lucky I am, to know
so many amazing people in so many places, and they of course agree. The hearing aids are just a small step towards the eventual goal of him being able to communicate like any other child his age, but with his intelligence and energy, we're all sure he can carry the project the rest of the way.