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A mother's tale of raising a deaf son
Productive: Rafi Abdurrahman Ridwan shows off some of his designs
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Productive: Rafi Abdurrahman Ridwan shows off some of his designs. Suffering from a hearing impairment has not inhibited Rafi from being creative in fashion design.(rafideafdesigner.blogspot.co.id) (rafideafdesigner.blogspot.co.id)
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span class="caption">Productive: Rafi Abdurrahman Ridwan shows off some of his designs. Suffering from a hearing impairment has not inhibited Rafi from being creative in fashion design.(rafideafdesigner.blogspot.co.id)
Thirteen-year-old designer Rafi Abdurrahman Ridwan has proven that his hearing impairment is not getting in the way of exploring the world of style.
Since his debut collaboration with designer Barli Asmara at Canteen in Plaza Indonesia shopping mall in 2011, he has continued to present collections at local and international fashion shows.
In 2013, he attracted the attention of America's Next Top Model producer Tyra Banks who invited him to design green clothing for three contestants when the show was shot in Bali.
Last October, he closed a fashion show that became a highlight of the DEAFestival in Los Angeles, a family event that promotes self-esteem among deaf children. During the show, one of Rafi's designs was presented by Nyle DiMarco, the first ever deaf contestant of America's Next Top Model, who eventually won the competition.
Behind Rafi's achievements is unconditional love from his family, which has fought for him from day one and encouraged him to interact with numerous people.
His mother, Shinta Ayu Handayani, tries her best in raising her son to have a high spirits.
When he was still a toddler, Shinta said Rafi showed a penchant for drawing clothes for Ariel in the film The Little Mermaid. In a bid to give him a real fashion experience, Shinta took him to enjoy fashion shows in Jakarta.
'Back then, when he loved collections of fashion shows, he would ask me to take pictures with the designers at the end of the show. He always proudly posed with his best drawings as he wanted to say that he too could be as smart as the designers,' she told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Monday.
From Barli to Rerre Adisty, Rafi has befriended inspiring designers since he was very young and has worked with Indonesian supermodels such as Laura Muljadi.
For Shinta, nurturing Rafi's passion for fashion is just one of the ways to provide various stimulation, which is recommended to help address his hearing impairment.
'I always introduce Rafi to many activities. I never dreamt of seeing Rafi [making such a big achievement] like today. His condition needs stimulation from many colors. It turns out that my efforts to stimulate him have brought him to this stage,' she said.
Shinta said it was necessary for her to mingle with parents of deaf children who are older than Rafi because they could share stories that motivated her in raising a special child. Meanwhile, some other parents of young teenagers with hearing impairment, she said, still had difficulty in accepting their children's special needs.
'Such a supportive community is important especially for me as a parent. Our children depend on us. Some parents may be reluctant to invest time and money, but how we will know our children's talents if we never facilitate them?' she said.
Shinta said after realizing Rafi's passion for drawing, she made more efforts to show her appreciation for his achievements by keeping the artworks and printing some of them on T-shirts that she would proudly wear and which were later ordered by institutions and organizations.
Boosting self-confidence is one of the key issues in raising children with special needs.
Shinta said her son was basically a shy and introverted individual who was sometimes misunderstood as being cocky as he mostly smiles and stays silent during first meetings with new people.
'He can actually become talkative, but he needs time. He still feels that he is not as clever as his other normal peers. My homework now is to make him more confident,' she said, adding that she was also grateful for her son's down-to-earth character.
The mother of three recounted her promise to support her deaf son in pursuing his passions, which she made around 13 years ago when she and her family decided to keep a fetus that was affected by the Rubella virus and was predicted to suffer from hearing, sight and heart problems.
'I made a promise to God and myself that if the fetus survived, I would not set any boundaries for him in gaining knowledge in many things, learning many things and trying many things,' she said.
Rafi now takes custom-made clothing orders from local and overseas customers. He is learning Thai language and cooking. Only time will tell whether the smiling young man will continue his journey in the fashion industry. He still has a long road ahead.
