Hidden Talents

——Jian Hua/Renaissance Craft Fair Reveals Ability in Disability

On June 20, while a vast majority of the expatriate community was in the process of it’s summer exodus back to their home country, George Varughese and his staff at the TJ Renaissance were busy with business right here in Tianjin.As a part of their commitment to “Socially Serve”, the Tianjin Renaissance was hosting a Disabled Children’s Arts and Crafts Fair.Over the course of the afternoon nearly 300 Chinese elementary school students and their parents made bead bracelets, folded balloons, decorated picture frames, folded paper cranes, and learned new painting techniques along side the students of the JHF Schools for Disabled Children.

The phrase “I brought my child because I wanted them to meet a disabled person.” was repeated time and time again through the course of the afternoon.To many parent’s surprise, the students of the Disabled Schools often blended in with the other children at the tables.They were not just helpless creatures requiring pity, but actually children that could interact with their own child.

One student is particularly notable: Xiao Tang who is part of the JHF Vocational Training project.He, along with 4 of his classmates was actually teaching the craft at two of the tables. Xiao Tang is mildly mentally delayed, and has been through the Chinese mentally disabled school system.“One of the major goals of the Vocational Training Class is to help these students develop social skills and self esteem” says Mr. Manfred Liu, the manager of the program.“They have always been treated as if they can not do anything, and so they have grown to believe this lie.True, they do have limitations, but everyone does.As students like Xiao Tang gain an awareness of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as some self confidence, they really can become excellent workers”.

“I never knew I could teach before.It is kind of scary teaching the parents, but I really enjoyed painting with the younger students” reflects Xiao Tang about his experience at the Art and Craft Fair.He helped teach at the table where they were doing blow artwork. Whether the medium was paint, bead, paper or balloon, many students stretched their abilities and their imagination as they learned new skills and made new friends.

“Although the word ‘Disability’ is on the invitation, this event is all about ‘Ability’.One of my main goals is for the community to begin to understand that just because the young adults in this vocational program are ‘different’ doesn’t mean they are of no value”, sums up Mr. Liu. And this would be a good summary.The Arts and Crafts Fair was proof positive to this truth: That laughter sounds the same whether it is coming from a child who is running around or one who is sitting in a wheelchair.

For more information about JHF’s work with the disabled community in Tianjin, please contact Ann Churchwell (English) or Mr Li Jian Qing (Chinese) at the JHF Office on 022-2392-6614.

Keep November 6, free on your calendars! TJ Renaissance and JHF will team up again for a Benefit Dinner and Silent Action.This will be the social event for the autumn season in TJ. Come have a wonderful night out with all the proceeds going to benefit disabled children and orphans.