"Our Vision: A Deaf Inclusive Filipino Society.
Our Mission: To harness the potential of volunteers in advocacy and education and to contribute in building sustainable resources.
Our Core Values: To empower volunteers with the necessary knowledge, skills and values to become competent, creative and pro-active person who are open to change and having a deep sense of JUSTICE, FAITH and SOLIDARITY."
http://gvspvolunteers.org/about-us/current-projects/ - Break the Silence: Campaign again Deaf Child Sexual Abuse
They got the name 'Gualandi' from two Italian brothers went were the first people to help the Deaf.
Some of the volunteers will be working at GVSP, publicising information about the deaf, or information for the deaf, helping the marginalised deaf people, educating them of the wrongs of sexual abuse, educating the Deaf about their rights and fighting for their rights.
They aim or prevent sexual abuse happening to Deaf people, they do this by showing cartoon of what is wrong. GVSP once showed this at a school, and a Deaf girl put her hand up and told them that her neighbour was doing it to her. He gives her 10 Peso, as he knows she loves using the computer in an Internet cafe. In return, she thought it was right to perform such sexual activity for him, as he requested it.
One of he volunteers asked "why is this happening? Why did the neighbour thinks it's okay to do it? Why did the girl think it was a right thing to do?"
Aileen's respond was "if your mind is dirty, you have to convince a person to do some kind of sexual activity"
GCSP also provide Deaf culture awareness, Deaf sensitivity and FSL training to the police officers, psychologists, volunteers and social workers. When their project started, in one year, so many (she didn't say how many exactly) contacted GVSP telling them that they have been touched, raped or abused. In 2014, there are more than 2 or 3 issues.
Staffs- Janice - a relay interpreter in courses- she's a bit like a communication support worker. John Paul and Denen (Deaf) are relay interpreters for boys who are uneducated.
A lady, I think her name is Aileen, I'm gonna call her Aileen. Anyways, she introduced GVSP to us and told us about the project- Break the Silence- link above!
She was telling us about the vulnerable position, that a lot of the Filipinos are in. They are easily taken advantage of due to them being Deaf. Criminals pick them as their easy target as they can not scream and simply because they can't tell the different between what's right and wrong.
We were told about some of the cases that GVSP had supported and some which are still ongoing. They provide support, lawyers and interpreters. We were asked to go to one public court hearing, to give out moral support to the parents of the girl who was gang raped and murdered. Aileen felt that the parents needed support from the Deaf community and to see the UK volunteers as well, because we know what's right and wrong, and perhaps to give some advices or information about the law in the UK.
I'm gonna write down information about some of the cases. Be warned, some are very graphic or upsetting!
Case one- the one I just told you about above, the neighbour and the girl. The girl was 16 years old. There were problems with the case as the grandmother of the family did not want to prosecute the neighbour because she thought it would take to long, would be too difficult therefore causing too many problems and she did not want to pay for a lawyer or an interpreter.
But after a long time persuading the grandmother, that GVSP will pay for a lawyer and provide an interpreter, which meant that the family would only need to pay for the transports to and from the court. They finally agreed to proceed in 2012. The hearing is still going on, Aileen wanted us to go to one of the hearing but the court house is too strict, they only allow whoever has a role in the case in.
Case two- in 2011, a Deaf girl was gang raped and killed by five men in a Fiesta (festival/party) in the city of LapuLapu. Her body was found three days later. The only person who recognised her was her father because of the clothes she was wearing.
She was apparently very beautiful and was asked by one man if they could talk somewhere more quiet. The girl's friend disappeared into the party, and the girl went along with the man, only to be met by four other men too. She could not speak, therefore could not defence herself and if she did scream, it was probably not heard as it was taken in a quiet place. Fiestas are normally in the mountains and loud music are always playing, another reason why she couldn't have been heard and why spher body was found three days later (me thinks?)
There is a trial still going on for her, it has taken so long because the denfence's lawyer was murdered. The victim's lawyer, I don't know why, but the lawyer had to be changed as well.
We, the sixth cycle volunteers, are invited to attend to the hearing, as it is a public court hearing. We are encouraged to go as Aileen said the parents of the victim would need the Deaf community's moral support. One batch was able to attend to the hearing last year as well in September/October.
Case three- very brief- a Deaf girl was accompanied by her neighbour, thinking she can trust him. But she was left in a stranded house and was raped by two men.
GVSP feels like the vulnerability in the deaf community is so alarming as they can not speak about their abuse, they are nit trained to be aware of any kind of abuses.
Aileen wanted us to be role models for the Filipino volunteers. She wanted hem to learn our aggressiveness, assertiveness and courage. As their attitude are normally shy, intimated and they won't ask questions. Aileen wanted us to make the hearing people aware that we can do anything, and we have rights. We don't need the 'special treatments', we only have interpreters who are our voice, ears and nothing else.
She wants our work to be sustainable. She mentioned that the teachers are very happy to have Deaf volunteers, as they think it's a good method to have a deaf teacher teaching the deaf children, making them realise that they can be anything they want to be. I visited one of the Deaf schools in Venu, and I saw a writing on the chalk board saying 'DEAF CAN BE HEROES TOO. EVERY DREAM NEEDS A HERO TO BRING IT TO LIFE.'
The Break the Silence project is done, as there are no more findings. But it is still being continued, as they are continuing what the other volunteers has left behind. They planned to do a fun run to raise money, but the time was too constraint. So they are hoping to do that next year, with two years of training the two deaf organisations in Manila and Bohol. They are hoping to have more findings to train more deaf organisations.
There will be a National convention in April by the project - Break the Silence - talking about how to set up a Deaf organisation physically and virtually.
Next blog will be about the Gualandi Mission for the Deaf- a short blog!
Byeeeee! :)
Some of the volunteers will be working at GVSP, publicising information about the deaf, or information for the deaf, helping the marginalised deaf people, educating them of the wrongs of sexual abuse, educating the Deaf about their rights and fighting for their rights.
They aim or prevent sexual abuse happening to Deaf people, they do this by showing cartoon of what is wrong. GVSP once showed this at a school, and a Deaf girl put her hand up and told them that her neighbour was doing it to her. He gives her 10 Peso, as he knows she loves using the computer in an Internet cafe. In return, she thought it was right to perform such sexual activity for him, as he requested it.
One of he volunteers asked "why is this happening? Why did the neighbour thinks it's okay to do it? Why did the girl think it was a right thing to do?"
Aileen's respond was "if your mind is dirty, you have to convince a person to do some kind of sexual activity"
GCSP also provide Deaf culture awareness, Deaf sensitivity and FSL training to the police officers, psychologists, volunteers and social workers. When their project started, in one year, so many (she didn't say how many exactly) contacted GVSP telling them that they have been touched, raped or abused. In 2014, there are more than 2 or 3 issues.
Staffs- Janice - a relay interpreter in courses- she's a bit like a communication support worker. John Paul and Denen (Deaf) are relay interpreters for boys who are uneducated.
A lady, I think her name is Aileen, I'm gonna call her Aileen. Anyways, she introduced GVSP to us and told us about the project- Break the Silence- link above!
She was telling us about the vulnerable position, that a lot of the Filipinos are in. They are easily taken advantage of due to them being Deaf. Criminals pick them as their easy target as they can not scream and simply because they can't tell the different between what's right and wrong.
We were told about some of the cases that GVSP had supported and some which are still ongoing. They provide support, lawyers and interpreters. We were asked to go to one public court hearing, to give out moral support to the parents of the girl who was gang raped and murdered. Aileen felt that the parents needed support from the Deaf community and to see the UK volunteers as well, because we know what's right and wrong, and perhaps to give some advices or information about the law in the UK.
I'm gonna write down information about some of the cases. Be warned, some are very graphic or upsetting!
Case one- the one I just told you about above, the neighbour and the girl. The girl was 16 years old. There were problems with the case as the grandmother of the family did not want to prosecute the neighbour because she thought it would take to long, would be too difficult therefore causing too many problems and she did not want to pay for a lawyer or an interpreter.
But after a long time persuading the grandmother, that GVSP will pay for a lawyer and provide an interpreter, which meant that the family would only need to pay for the transports to and from the court. They finally agreed to proceed in 2012. The hearing is still going on, Aileen wanted us to go to one of the hearing but the court house is too strict, they only allow whoever has a role in the case in.
Case two- in 2011, a Deaf girl was gang raped and killed by five men in a Fiesta (festival/party) in the city of LapuLapu. Her body was found three days later. The only person who recognised her was her father because of the clothes she was wearing.
She was apparently very beautiful and was asked by one man if they could talk somewhere more quiet. The girl's friend disappeared into the party, and the girl went along with the man, only to be met by four other men too. She could not speak, therefore could not defence herself and if she did scream, it was probably not heard as it was taken in a quiet place. Fiestas are normally in the mountains and loud music are always playing, another reason why she couldn't have been heard and why spher body was found three days later (me thinks?)
There is a trial still going on for her, it has taken so long because the denfence's lawyer was murdered. The victim's lawyer, I don't know why, but the lawyer had to be changed as well.
We, the sixth cycle volunteers, are invited to attend to the hearing, as it is a public court hearing. We are encouraged to go as Aileen said the parents of the victim would need the Deaf community's moral support. One batch was able to attend to the hearing last year as well in September/October.
Case three- very brief- a Deaf girl was accompanied by her neighbour, thinking she can trust him. But she was left in a stranded house and was raped by two men.
GVSP feels like the vulnerability in the deaf community is so alarming as they can not speak about their abuse, they are nit trained to be aware of any kind of abuses.
Aileen wanted us to be role models for the Filipino volunteers. She wanted hem to learn our aggressiveness, assertiveness and courage. As their attitude are normally shy, intimated and they won't ask questions. Aileen wanted us to make the hearing people aware that we can do anything, and we have rights. We don't need the 'special treatments', we only have interpreters who are our voice, ears and nothing else.
She wants our work to be sustainable. She mentioned that the teachers are very happy to have Deaf volunteers, as they think it's a good method to have a deaf teacher teaching the deaf children, making them realise that they can be anything they want to be. I visited one of the Deaf schools in Venu, and I saw a writing on the chalk board saying 'DEAF CAN BE HEROES TOO. EVERY DREAM NEEDS A HERO TO BRING IT TO LIFE.'
The Break the Silence project is done, as there are no more findings. But it is still being continued, as they are continuing what the other volunteers has left behind. They planned to do a fun run to raise money, but the time was too constraint. So they are hoping to do that next year, with two years of training the two deaf organisations in Manila and Bohol. They are hoping to have more findings to train more deaf organisations.
There will be a National convention in April by the project - Break the Silence - talking about how to set up a Deaf organisation physically and virtually.
Next blog will be about the Gualandi Mission for the Deaf- a short blog!
Byeeeee! :)
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