Deaf Community Indonesia
March – June 2023
During my time in Bali, I got in touch with someone who was moved by the situation of the deaf community in Indonesia. She was seeking a voluntary photographer, and I decided to help her out. We visited a school for deaf children to observe the education system and meet numerous deaf children. Despite their inability to hear or understand us, we had a wonderful time. The children taught us how to introduce ourselves in their sign language, and we had the opportunity to meet their mothers and attend some classes. We also learned the unfortunate truth that parents do not witness their children succeeding in society due to a lack of sign language knowledge.
One recent development in Bali is Warung Inklusiv, a place where deaf people and other minorities are given the opportunity to work in a restaurant. One of their employees is a dedicated activist for the deaf community, aspiring to become the first deaf Indonesian doctor. He will soon move to study in the United Kingdom, and I am confident in his ability to achieve his goals. I will share any new updates about this project here!
