Saturday 26 November 2011

New wine in old wineskin

   Deji is undoubtedly the most popular boy around the school. Everyone knows him. He is a kid with real special education needs and it will be so easy to feel frustrated if you are put in the position of teaching him. This kid is about eleven years old but still in year four and apart from being too old for the class, his intellectual ability is somewhere around a 3year old. He is only in the year four class because he is getting really big. He has a dedicated teacher because, he is really disruptive.  As far as he is concerned whichever teacher stands in front of the class to speak is talking rubbish cos it doesn't make sense to him. So he gets bored and starts to disturb the whole class, one way or the other.


Deji has 3 younger siblings. The immediate younger brother Timmy is also in year four, the class arm I work in. Timmy on the other hand is the sweetest, calmest little boy. I feel like a few times I’ve noticed that Timmy was a bit embarrassed by something Deji had done. Maybe bullied the little ones on the playground, gave a loud fart in a silent crowd, burst into laughter for no reason at all in the middle of the head teacher’s speech, or just shouting in the loudest voice while we sang the school song and national anthem. The list of what Deji can do at any time is endless. So, Timmy sometimes just shied away from it all, somehow.


People in school, teachers and students find ready entertainment in Deji. There is always something to be amused about when it came to him. So it was such surprise when on a certain day last week, the weekly certificates for children’s performances both academic and behavioral were being announced, Deji was called as the pupil of the week from his class. The entire school who were obviously bored with clapping for the numerous winners from different classes broke into a thunderous applaud… Deji??!!!! He walked up proudly, took his certificate and the school did not stop clapping for some good minutes. The pride in his eyes nearly brought tears to my eyes.


Later that same day, we had gone to the art studio to do something with the kids and while they were lined up outside someone pointed out a nicely done painting framed and hanging on the wall. It had Deji’s name written in it.  Deji did that painting. The kids were all giving gasps of surprise. Just then, I looked beside me and saw Timmy (Deji’s brother in my class). He shrugged and told his classmates “ Deji might look dumb but there are many things he can do well. You will be surprised”. I looked at him and my heart melted. I was so touched. this little boy believed his brother had invaluable gifts nobody saw.


Timmy’s innocent words have stayed with me for days since then. He made me ponder about how easily we human beings write each other off.  It just takes a bit of abnormality for the world to see you as a hopeless case. Deji is a laugh for so many people and the reason is clear. They all think that is all he is, nothing more. I don’t think that’s how God will expect us to see Deji and many of such people in the world. I think he’ll expect us to look beyond the infirmities, abnormalities and packaging, like he did with Aaron. Each life is uniquely formed by God. When we are born with normal brains and bodies, I think we have more than we need to help those with special needs. It’s important that we help them in every way possible especially in finding out what special gifts they have cos they do have one, or some. Writing them off is the most unfair and unjust thing we can do to them even if we do it nicely.


As cliché as this is, “DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER” should always lurk somewhere in the surface of our hearts. I think it will help us look beyond the not so fantastic packaging of our brothers and sisters with special needs. They need us so much.


One more thing, never forget how blessed you are to be the way you are..
((((((hugs)))))))

1 comment:

dosh said...

This is beautifuuuul... I panicked at first cos i though Timmy would be jealous of Deji's painting. Thanks for sharing, God bless you