CENTRE
FOR
SPEECH & HEARING
OUR STORY...
In 1979 when parents of an infant girl discovered her congenital deafness they launched a country wide search for ways to bring her as close to normalcy as possible. Luckily they came across a highly qualified British speech therapist and expert on Deaf Education within their home town Mardan. With financial help coming from the parents, she volunteered to initiate the first ever School for the Deaf in Mardan, Pakistan.
HiIn 1985, five children were admitted in a three-roomed rented building. However the need for shifting to a bigger building soon arose in view of the ever rising number of admissions. This fast expansion with the number of children going up to 50 in no time required expenditure which were beyond the financial means of the parents. But due to efforts of the Speech Therapist, Oxfam stepped in to finance the Centre and provide expertise. This NGO also had to quit after a few years due to its policy of supporting new institutions on temporary basis. Thus the entire load of financing was back on the shoulders of the parents.
The British Speech Therapist using her connections was instrumental in Convincing President General Zia Ul Haq to donate land and money for the project so a plot of 2 acres was purchased and the ground breaking ceremony was performed by the President himself.
The Centre was registered with the Govt. Department of Social Welfare and Special Education. A campaign for fundraising was initiated with limited response from public due to lack of awareness about Special Education. Problems faced by the Centre multiplied on the face of the British Expert having to shift back to her home country.
Due to the vacuum created, threatening the very foundation of the Centre, the mother had to come forward to save the situation. Initially the service was temporary but her work at the Centre and the positive results convinced her about the need for continuing. Since the last 25 years her involvement with staff and students has given her immense pleasure and a sense of achievement. With the present strength of 178 students, the Centre is yet under great pressure for further expansion to include more and more children into the program.Sadly this has further burdened the scarce resources thus inhibiting the speed of its progress.
In 1994 a 28 room building was constructed with donations from the local philanthropists and friends which was inaugurated by the then President of Pakistan Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari.
The Centre has had to undergo changes from time to time to improve and polish its services. Thus a computer lab, a vocational centre, a Speech therapy clinic to supplement the already existing Audiology services (opened to the community as well) and a canteen to provide snacks to the students were added to the school.
