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German journalists train blind students in North Sumatra
Ten students attended a broadcast journalism class at a school in Tanjung Morawa, Deli Serdang regency in North Sumatra one morning in October
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span>Ten students attended a broadcast journalism class at a school in Tanjung Morawa, Deli Serdang regency in North Sumatra one morning in October.
It was not an ordinary school. It was a school for the blind run by the Blind Education Foundation (Yapentra). To make it more special, the teachers were two visiting journalists from Germany, Hanna Lesch and Franzi Becker.
They have taught at the school since September. The program, which will run until the end of this year, is part of an empowerment program for the blind and an effort to develop a community radio station in the regency.
“They could be broadcasters, journalists or have other prominent jobs in the future,” said Hanna.
Currently, Hanna and Franzi work for German media company Norddeustcher Rundfunk Radio and have also contributed to Der Spiegel.
Both Hanna and Franzi share their experience and knowledge with around 67 students at the school, who range from elementary to high school students.
It is not only the Tanjung Morawa students who have benefited. Both Hanna and Franzi also enjoy the experience of living in the regency.
Hanna and Franzi said they experienced many interesting things such as how to teach blind students through a different language and how to deal with extreme weather, from scorching sunlight to sudden rain.
They have learned new languages and about the social, cultural and culinary aspects of life in North Sumatra.
“It’s so interesting that I have had many new things. I met some female journalists from various kinds of media in Medan. We had an interesting discussion about digital media and have stayed in touch with them. There is also Pak Jabes Silaban from Yapentra who always supports what we do and what we will do related to networking and media updating,” said Hanna.
Franzi added that they did not have any difficulties traveling about as they made use of ride-hailing services.
At first they found it disconcerting when people pointed at them shouting “bule [white foreigner], bule!” and photographed them without permission but later they learned how to deal with it or found ways to avoid it.
Jabes, director of Yapentra, has high expectations for the community in the future. “I hope they [the students] can have a brighter future in life.”
“I hope they can work as journalists or broadcasters instead of becoming beggars or street vendors. At least they can work as telemarketers in local companies. There are many companies here in Tanjung Morawa, and I am looking forward to them working normally,” he added.
This week, the school is doing a comparative study with another school for the blind and a radio station in Semarang, Central Java, with the team, including Frank Ewert, chief executive officer of Hildesheimer Blindenmission, a Germany-based nonprofit organization that has been working with blind schools in Hong Kong, Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia. In Indonesia, it has worked with Yapentra in North Sumatra and Yayasan Pendidikan Anak Buta (school for the blind) in Surabaya, East Java.
Yapentra, which was founded 42 years ago, runs special elementary, junior high and vocational schools.
The latest program is connected with community radio and broadcast training. Under the program blind students are taught how to live independently through vocational training, including modern and traditional music and singing, paving block making, massage therapy, broom making, handicrafts and other skills.
