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Khadka LOKESH - Trainee Report

Arriving in Japan

I came to Japan on 23 August, 2001 and met other trainees from various parts of Asia. When I saw people from Pakistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, I was surprised that they had the same skin color me and I felt strange at first, but I quickly realized that I could gradually become friends with them.

When I arrived, I could not understand the sign language of Japanese persons with hearing impairments at all. So from September to December, I studied Japanese sign language by myself outside of my training program. Studying alone was not enough, so I made as many opportunities as possible to use Japanese sign language by participating in a local sign language circle or by playing with other persons with hearing impairments.

Thus I learned new words and came to understand Japanese sign language much better. Now I can communicate well with persons with hearing impairments in Japan and I am satisfied with my own efforts and progress.

Studying the Japanese language was another tough task. Before I came to Japan, I did not know that we had to write a weekly report in Japanese, so I was quite shocked when I found this out.

What surprised me about Japan

When I came to Japan, I was surprised at many things. There are so many high buildings and subway lines. I see many women smoking. When I was in Shinjuku, I was approached by a call girl.

There was another experience I remember. As I was new to the place, staff from the training division guided me at first. One day, I had an appointment with a friend and decided to walk around by myself. But I got lost, so I went to a police box and the policeman kindly took me to the meeting spot. Unlike stern Nepalese policemen, he was very kind.

I was also surprised to see that in Japan, everyone, regardless of them being persons with hearing impairments or not, exchanges emails with each other using cellular phones. Moreover, there are many persons with hearing impairments who live independently away from home. That was surprising, too. I was astonished to see Japanese people get undressed and go into hot springs and public baths. But I understood that this is one aspect of Japanese culture.

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Individual training

1. Visit to the school for persons with hearing impairments

According to the plan the Japanese Federation for the Deaf had made for me, I visited four schools starting in December. I noticed two points about which I have some doubts. The first is that the methods of education differ from school to school. The second is that they use the oral method rather than sign language, in teaching children of kindergarten to junior high school age. In Nepal, sign language is used when children reach elementary school age. I think that Japanese children with hearing impairments should be taught in sign language from an earlier age. In the elementary school classes, parents were observing, which I found it very impressive. In Nepal, parents leave their children in schools and trust the teachers and institutions to take care of the education of their children. But I think it is important that parents get interested in school education and utilize the knowledge and experience they get through observation. There are special programs for teaching skills like haircutting, dentistry, wood processing and many others, so that persons with hearing impairments can seek possible future occupations in these areas. As we do not have these kinds of special programs back home, I wish they could be introduced into Nepal.

The Japanese Federation of the Deaf

At the Japanese Federation for the Deaf, I learned about the details of its establishment and its management. New members are recruited at local, prefectural, regional and national levels and they pay membership fees which become the funds of the federation. The funds are also raised by selling videotapes and books. I appreciate the energy of the staff and the members as they raise the funds by themselves. I feel that their way of management is effective and contributes to their growth.

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Ikoinomura and Fureai-no-sato, Donguri

I received training at Ikoinomura in Kyoto for a month. There I experienced weaving and other activities in cooperation with elderly persons with hearing impairments. Even when I was in trouble, these persons with hearing impairments there who had a very detailed knowledge of weaving taught me what I needed to know so that I became more proficient.

I also took training at Fureai-no-sato, Donguri. Persons with hearing and multiple impairments work there in recycling cans or baking bread. I tried their bread. It tasted good and seeeing their hard work, I felt I should learn from them.

At Ikoinomura and Donguri, people sometimes go to the zoo. Working hard every day at the same place is stressful, so they try to find a way to relax. Inside the zoo facilities, I saw guide maps using pictures rather than letters, which I found to be very helpful.

Sign language lecture

I went to a lot of courses and lectures on sign language. The instructions were easy to understand. The students were strongly motivated and studying hard wanting to become good at sign language. I was very moved by their attitudes.

Students wanting to become sign interpreters undertake the sign language interpretation course at the The National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities. Rather than trying to translate Japanese sign language into the spoken language word for word, they try to find equivalent meanings for the whole sense of the sentence. The instructors use no verbal language in the class. They communicate only using sign language. I was impressed to see students work hard to master these skills. To my regret, this training took only two days, but there were many great new discoveries—it was the most memorable training that I had. I wished it could be longer. It was the most impressive training I ever had.

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My dream

I learned a lot during this one year training course in Japan. I had been engaged in various activities in Nepal but I had been feeling that I had reached my limit. But after this training in Japan, I now feel that I have gained confidence and the ability to be active again. I do not want just to bring back what I have learned, but to adapt it to Nepalese culture and customs.

I shall find a job when I go home. And at the same time, I shall take an active role in movements to improve the welfare for persons with hearing impairments in Nepal.

Nepal consists of 75 regions and there are many persons with hearing impairments in each of these regions. Those who live in provincial areas do not have knowledge or information to improve their welfare. I would like to visit those provincial areas and teach them what I have learned in Japan.

I would like to collect information about persons with hearing impairments in provincial areas and let the government know their situation, which otherwise would not be known. Should the government refuse to listen to me, then I shall organize a movement with other persons with hearing impairments. I want the movement to be not only for persons with hearing impairments but also for those who have other disabilities. I think it is important to work in cooperation with other organizations for persons with disabilities.

I would like to train sign interpreters. They should not only learn the skills required but also have the understanding of persons with hearing impairments. And I would like them to participate in activities with us.

If the government agreed to support us, then I would like to support schools for persons with hearing impairments, nursing homes for elderly persons with hearing impairments and schools to train sign interpreters. I also want to support those who live in provincial areas to come to the urban areas and get information.

Rather than receiving support from other countries, I want to solve various problems by the dreams I share with my 9 fellow trainees.

I believe my fellow trainees have acquired a lot of knowledge through this training. We dream of positively developing our own countries using what we have learned in Japan. We would like to work hard not to fall behind developments in Western countries. I think it is important for us to exchange information about what kinds of activities we participate in back home and whether we can find any effective way to share our problems and promote our programs. I hope each of us can play an active role in our home countries and I hope that we can continue to support each other in our personal growth.

Conclusion

I would like to give thanks to the people from the Duskin AINOWA Foundation and the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities for their support. Also, I owe the success of my individual training to the support of the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, which I highly appreciate. All the things I learned during this training are my treasures. I shall work hard to make use of these. Again, thank you very much.

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