JOSH Foundation's inter-school dance competition for the hearing impaired with Poonam Pandey, Devangi Dalal, Dr.Jayant Gandhi, Ali Asgar, Kunickaa Sadanand, Sanjay Chhel, Aneel Murarka & many others.

Lend these kids your ears!

It was a momentous day for JOSH Foundation when a 100 hearing impaired children from seven schools took to stage,  dancing to songs, choreographed on the diverse culture of India. With parents, Principals, and Dr.Jayant Gandhi and Audiologist-Speech Therapist Devangi Dalal cheering on, the children to danced artistically choreographed numbers in sync. Not one made it evident that he/she is hearing impaired! Hearing impairment aids were also distributed to children on the occasion.

ENT Specialist Dr.Jayant Gandhi and Audiologist-Speech Therapist Devangi Dalal are behind many a children learning to overcome their hearing impairment, under their tutelege, as infants, or from the time their hearing impairment has been detected.

Says Geeta Shelar, Principal, Sadhana Vidyalaya For Deaf, "Today, each child has emerged a winner as they took to stage and overcame their impairment to emerge victorious.  Not one of them wants to come second or third. They all wish to be No 1. This is the strength that JOSH Foundation's initiative has given them."

Adds Devangi Dalal, "When a child learns a dance from, say, Assam, he decides to learn about the culture, the region, the geographical and historical significance, the costumes among others. The child lives and breathes Assam and when they perform, they exude that confidence that comes from the strength of knowledge. Not one child missed a step. Tomorrow,  these children will grow up to be engineers, choreographers,  entrepreneurs, in their own right.  One of my students went to the University of Rochester and wrote a mail saying he was the only hearing impaired student who could speak and he learnt sign language to communicate with his hearing impaired peers at the college. His learning here ensured he could communicate and speak though he could not hear.  Now that is something we want each of these children to do -- grow up to be people who make a dent in any field they choose. And emerge winners always.”