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‘Tis the Season to ShareThe Holiday Edition

Season's Greetings Everyone! I'm honored to pen the opening to our second newsletter.  Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Katie Cue (India: Bangalore '07, Thailand '08) and I'm the new Social Media Director for GRO. 

I'm honored to join a staff of highly dedicated individuals who all believe in and work for the same common cause: empowering Deaf youth around the world.  This is evident from our last newsletter which had 2617 views as of December 15, 2009.  Wow!  It is great to see that our message is getting out there. 

Just imagine: if each person out of those two thousand six hundred seventeen people who read the newsletter took a single dollar bill and put it in the mail, or donated it online, we'd have $2,617.00.  Every small contribution makes a difference!  It funds our delegations, and

it helps sponsor foreign delegates that have no money to participate otherwise. It also goes toward the long list of expenses that are paid out of everyone's pockets, delegates and staff alike, to keep GRO running.  Most of all, it goes toward continuing GRO's mission and vision. 

This newsletter will highlight some of our recent fund raising campaigns in the spirit of the holidays and the season of giving, and it'll also feature some upcoming events that we all look forward to!  We are excited for our third delegation to India this December; stay tuned to our website and Twitter to follow our delegates in their adventures of working together.  Daily updates will be posted! 

We are excited to welcome back at least SIX of our past Mumbai and Bangalore Indian delegates to the Kolkata delegation!  A special story will be done

on the delegation in our third newsletter in the spring.  In the meantime, I urge each and every one you, in the spirit of the holiday season, to remember those who are less fortunate. 

Last but not least, if you have ever wanted to make a difference, if GRO has ever made a difference in your life, if you have ever felt inspired by GRO - pay it forward.  It can be as simple as a $1 bill or as grand as collaborating on a project for GRO or applying for a future delegation. 

Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others. --Barbara Bush.

Warmly,Katie Cue, Social Media Coordinator

Click here to view GRO’s Holiday Video on Vimeo!

Back Row L to R: Sarah Houge, Dan Hamilton, Katie Cue, Alim ChandaniMiddle Row L to R: Tamer Mahmoud, Smitha Hanumantha, Jeff Fredrickson Front Row: Lizzie Sorkin

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On the night of November 7, 2009, the Global Reach Out Initiative, Inc (GRO) partnered with the Metro South Asian Deaf Association (MSADA) to host an annual event called the Diwali & Eid Celebration. Read below for the highlights of this event!

For years, MSADA has hosted this wonderful event in an effort to acknowledge and embrace the two majority religious sects in the Southeast Asia community: Hinduism and Islam. This year, in light of GRO’s upcoming delegation in Kolkata, India, MSADA decided to show support by offering a partnership with GRO in co-hosting the Diwali & Eid Celebration.

As a product of this unique partnership, the Diwali & Eid Celebration was a huge success. It was held at Sorenson Language and Communication (SLCC) at Gallaudet

University. The event had over 100 people in attendance, 5 performances, trivia questions, and some good ol' dancing and socializing. The food was abundant, hot, and delicious. The appetizers and desserts were scrumptious and disappeared from the table as soon as they appeared.

The SLCC was beautifully decorated with South Asian flags, MSADA and GRO's flags, and colorful saris. Last but not least, the music was loud and sent a reverberating beat throughout the night in recognition and appreciation of the two organizations, MSADA and GRO.

If you missed this event, do not fret for there is a strong possibility of a continued partnership between MSADA and GRO. Be sure to make plans to attend next year's Diwali & Eid Celebration, it promises to be even better!

Diwali & Eid Celebration HighlightsMSADA & GROBy Tamer Mahmoud, Program Assistant

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Since the summer of 2009, GRO’s chairperson, Diana Cho, and I have worked hard on developing a process for selecting the new Board of Directors for Global Reach Out, Initiative, Inc. It has been a tremendous honor to work with Diana Cho, who has helped me enormously with the selection of the new Board. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to Diana for her dedication and effort in working with and having patience with me throughout the whole process.

After an interview and selection process, we successfully established the first-ever Board of Directors for GRO. The Board held its first meeting during the weekend of October 23-25, 2009 in Washington, D.C. At the meeting, GRO had the opportunity to share its accomplishments over the past two years, as well as outline our future goals. It is our hope that the Board will become part of the process by providing their support and wisdom.

More importantly, the Board had the opportunity to meet and greet the GRO staff as well as listen to their various experiences of working with GRO. Each Director on the Board will serve a two-year term, and the Board also selected a chair: Dr. Shilpa Hanumantha. The chairperson was selected through a consensus vote, and I wish to congratulate Dr. Hanumantha on this honor. I look forward to working closely with her over the next two years.

It is my distinct pleasure to welcome the new Board of Directors, and introduce them to the world! Each board member has a unique set of skills from which GRO (and the world) will benefit greatly. We have a young, energized, and diverse Board. Together, I know we will accomplish many great things!

Once again, I want to thank each and every member on the Board of Directors for their time and commitment in serving GRO now and in the future. We are extremely fortunate to have such a simulating group, and we all look forward to working closely with them.

For more information or a detailed biography on each member on the Board, you may visit our website at www.globalreachout.org.

Dr. Shilpa Hanumantha (Chair)Mr. Dan BrubakerMs. Beverly BuchananMr. Jacob ShambergMr. Gabe Leung Mr. Alim Chandani

Members of the Board

Board of DirectorsIntroductionBy Alim Chandani, Executive Director

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Front to Back: Gabe LeungAlim ChandaniShilpa HanumanthaBeverly BuchananDan BrubakerJacob Shamberg

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In the spirit of collaboration, the staff of Global Reach Out, Initiative and Discovering Deaf Worlds met on a crisp November afternoon to discuss the purpose of each organization and our goals. As a result of that meeting, we agreed to co-author an article highlighting the similarities and clarifying the differences between each organization and their roles in the greater deaf International Development community.

Without a doubt, the most well-known institution advocating for deaf people on an international level is the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD).  As a spokes-organization for the UN, the WFD lobbies extensively for human rights and publishes a multitude of information about deaf people around the world.  According to a WFD report from January 2009, as many as 90% of deaf people in developing countries lack access to education [source].  This is an enormous concern that cannot be tackled alone. Fortunately, over the past few years, other non-profits such as Global Reach Out (GRO) and Discovering Deaf Worlds (DDW) have emerged with unique approaches to empower deaf people in developing countries. 

DDW - International PartnershipsDiscovering Deaf Worlds, founded in 2006, partners with deaf advocacy organizations in developing countries to maximize the success of local resources.  Rather than creating programs from scratch, DDW supports the efforts of existing organizations that better understand the culture, language, and needs of their community. DDW provides resources such as educational materials, training, and/or teacher stipends with a “behind the scenes” role, leaving the majority of hands-on work to local community members. DDW’s goal is to establish a new partnership program in select countries every 2-3 years, and run each program year-round for the long-term.  In addition, DDW visits deaf communities in developing countries to research current issues and opportunities, create films, and establish an international network of deaf advocacy organizations.

GRO - Peer to Peer CollaborationFounded in 2005, Global Reach Out plants the seeds of future deaf leaders by pairing deaf Americans with their counterparts in developing countries.  Over a 1-3 week time period, peer-to-peer delegations advance leadership skills by collaborating to identify and formulate methods for addressing the pressing issues within their communities.  All delegates are encouraged to take the initiative and continue advocating for their communities after the GRO delegation has ended; simultaneously, GRO continues to provide resources and support from afar when needed. When the annual delegations themselves are no longer necessary, then GRO’s ultimate goal has been accomplished. In the past four years, GRO has established programs in Honduras, Guatemala, Thailand, India (Bangalore, Mumbai, and Kolkata), and Kenya. Delegates from all countries are often inspired to make a difference in deaf communities on both a national and international scale.

How GRO and DDW Come TogetherThis winter, American GRO delegates will visit Kolkata, India to implement a communication skills camp. Thanks to DDW’s flourishing networks in Kolkata, GRO will collaborate with Uddami, a non-profit organization focused on vocational training of deaf and other disadvantaged youth. Jointly, the two organizations will create a Deaf Sign Day Camp. The goal of this camp is to foster the development of communication skills among deaf children from various schools including Shuktara, a home for 20 deaf and disabled children without families. Furthermore, this delegation will prepare the Shuktara youth for DDW's upcoming STAR Initiative, in which deaf Indian tutors will be hired to work and live with the Shuktara children 8-10 months each year. These tutors will advance the communication, vocational, and management skills of these youth with the ultimate goal of empowering them to run the homes autonomously.

The participation of children from Shuktara in the Deaf Sign Day Camp and the alliance between GRO and Uddami mark the first of many collaborative efforts between GRO and DDW. Although the hours are long and the work is all volunteer-based, both organizations are dedicated to, as Gandhi once said, being the change they wish to see in the world... and loving every minute of it!

For more information visit:• GRO www.globalreachout.org• DDW www.discoveringdeafworlds.org• Uddami www.uddami.org• Shuktara www.shuktarahome.org

Global Reach Out Initiative Discovering Deaf Worlds

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Isharafor educational achievements

The Ishara Foundation was established in December 2005 by a group of deaf and hearing professionals in Mumbai, India.

Ishara’s main aim is to improve the educational achievements of Deaf children and adults in India. This is done through the establishment of educational networks in order to provide continuing education classes, distance education programs, and literacy improvement courses. All of their courses are taught via the medium of sign language.

Ishara’s ultimate goal is to set up a full-fledged tertiary education stream for deaf students. To this end, they are associated with a number of national and international organizations and individuals that are closely involved with the field of bilingual-bicultural programs for the deaf.

www.ishara.org

Shuktarafor providing hope

UK-born David Earp started Shuktara in 1999 after he visited India and was profoundly moved by the plight of the disabled street children he met there. Many of the boys and girls who have come to live at Shuktara were abandoned or orphaned as young children and suffered terrible hardship and discrimination. Most lived on the streets begging for scraps of food.

Because of their disabilities, they were written off as incapable of learning, developing as individuals, or integrating into society. Their personalities and their potential were ignored. The difference that a short amount of time at Shuktara makes is astounding. The youth grow in every sense possible. Their personalities blossom, and they begin to come to terms with their disabilities and to fulfill their academic potential.

www.shuktara.net

Mirakle Couriersa company with a difference

Mirakle Couriers is a courier company with a difference as they employ only deaf adults.

Mirakle Couriers provides efficient courier delivery service at competitive costs within Mumbai. The methodical courier operations and professionally groomed courier professionals ensure on time pick-up and delivery of mail at the correct address.

The organization’s business model is based on creating a service-driven profitable enterprise that uses the services of deaf individuals. To this end, they marry professional excellence with a social cause.

They are not a charity, but a social business. The social element is embedded in the commercial operations.

www.miraklecouriers.com

Uddamito provide opportunities

Uddami believes that youth from low-income communities should have an equal chance to participate in and benefit from the current growth in information and communication technologies (ICT). Uddami Computer Training Centre provides free computer access and practical skill training to disadvantaged people, including deaf and hard of hearing youth, in order to increase their so they can develop sustainable livelihoods in the ICT sector.

Uddami is a place where students are encouraged to think, question, and to dream. Uddami’s philosophy is that individuals deserve the chance to reach their full potential.

www.uddami.org

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Forever GRO’ingOur Purpose. Our Mission. Our Vision. Our History. Our Story.

Global Reach Out Initiative (GRO) is designed to build a global network of Deaf youth who unite to improve the quality of life for Deaf members within their home communities. Many developing countries do not enforce human rights for their Deaf citizens; consequentially, their ability to succeed in various spheres of life is limited. GRO is more than just an outreach organization that helps others - it seeks to empower Deaf youth in a mutual way by bringing together American and foreign delegates.

Many organizations currently exist to serve deaf communities internationally, but none exist that utilize a peer-to-peer model to ensure that empowerment, rather than dependency, is the result of their collaboration. The peer delegates combine their experiences as Deaf people and their capacities in leadership to create and present workshops related to specific issues in their Deaf communities. Our goal is to encourage independence in all delegates; we expect them to establish communication networks that exist long after the delegation itself is over.

We believe unity is the first step in resisting oppression. It may be idealistic, but many successful policies for social change were and are often dismissed as impossible. GRO believes that social change in the global Deaf community is possible, and it strives to create a world in which deafness does not foster oppression; instead it creates empowerment.

GRO provides a solution by establishing cross-cultural relationships that empower deaf youth in the U.S. and developing countries so that both groups feel motivated to accomplish goals that strengthen awareness and enforcement of Deaf rights. GRO's programs are designed to push young members of Deaf communities worldwide to recognize their capacities as leaders and to work to obtain educational and social resources for themselves as well as others.

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GLOBAL REACH OUT INITIATIVE4518 Raleigh Ave #401 Alexandria, VA 22304