I participated in the activity at Satyam Day Care Center in April 2016. Satyam is a progressive center with a lot of activity. As I experienced it was also quite well organized compared to other centers I were a part of in Kathmandu. While I was there, it was a daily dance session among some of the older students choreographed together with a dance teacher. These were goal oriented practices which resulted in performances in front of a large crowd at Down Syndrome Day and so on with huge success. The kids were easy to love and connect with as we shared a lot of joy and laughter. Even though it was difficult to communicate verbally due to different languages, I felt a common understanding and the language was not so important. There were school sessions, creative work of making candles and a lot of playing. 3 of the young boys even worked sometimes at a hotel to learn about professional life. My impression was that the older students also worked a little like role models for the younger ones. All in all, SDCC together with other care centers is the proof that there is a shift going on in Nepal. The attitude towards intellectual disability is changing towards a positive direction. Especially at SDCC, there were competent and devoted staffs that were good at using the potential of their students and activate them in a practical ways.
Harold , NTNU Norway
