Miss-Delectable
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http://www.hertsad.co.uk/content/he...ewshadnew&itemid=WEED02 Feb 2006 12:03:28:333
MORE than 50 deaf children in a remote part of Kashmir are being offered a chance of a better life thanks to a St Albans charity
The Kashmir Deaf Children's Trust, founded two years ago, has opened a school for in the village of Charhot which offers the children the chance of an education for the first time. The charity has just opened a shop in Hatfield Road in a bid to raise enough cash to build the region's first clinic to treat the children.
Charity founder Mohammed Akhtar, who runs an Asian foodstore close to the charity shop, set up the fund because his own daughter Shubana, now 28, is extremely deaf. He said: "I still go back to Kashmir every couple of years and I know that my daughter had far more chances in England than deaf children there can ever expect.
"There is not a single clinic in Kashmir where the children can be assessed and receive hearing aids so they are forced to live in isolation. The nearest clinic is in Islamabad and that is almost two days' journey away."
Mr Akhtar added: "The school costs around £3,000 a year to run and is being funded by people from all parts of the community in St Albans, not just by those of us from Kashmir. It has made a tremendous difference not just to the children but to their families. Mr Akhtar said the cost of building the clinic and equipping it was in the region of £30,000 and he hoped the charity could also fund hearing aids for the children.
The new shop, which sells both Asian and English goods, was opened by local councillors Joyce Lusby and Brian Sinfield (pictured above with Mr Akhtar).
Mr Akhtar said: "It is already doing quite well but we would be pleased to receive any donations and offers of help.
MORE than 50 deaf children in a remote part of Kashmir are being offered a chance of a better life thanks to a St Albans charity
The Kashmir Deaf Children's Trust, founded two years ago, has opened a school for in the village of Charhot which offers the children the chance of an education for the first time. The charity has just opened a shop in Hatfield Road in a bid to raise enough cash to build the region's first clinic to treat the children.
Charity founder Mohammed Akhtar, who runs an Asian foodstore close to the charity shop, set up the fund because his own daughter Shubana, now 28, is extremely deaf. He said: "I still go back to Kashmir every couple of years and I know that my daughter had far more chances in England than deaf children there can ever expect.
"There is not a single clinic in Kashmir where the children can be assessed and receive hearing aids so they are forced to live in isolation. The nearest clinic is in Islamabad and that is almost two days' journey away."
Mr Akhtar added: "The school costs around £3,000 a year to run and is being funded by people from all parts of the community in St Albans, not just by those of us from Kashmir. It has made a tremendous difference not just to the children but to their families. Mr Akhtar said the cost of building the clinic and equipping it was in the region of £30,000 and he hoped the charity could also fund hearing aids for the children.
The new shop, which sells both Asian and English goods, was opened by local councillors Joyce Lusby and Brian Sinfield (pictured above with Mr Akhtar).
Mr Akhtar said: "It is already doing quite well but we would be pleased to receive any donations and offers of help.