the HIV/AIDS Care and Support Centre that we went to in Warangal is run by a priest who is the director and by nuns who are the nurses in charge. the land that it is on belongs to the catholic church, and a whole lot of the surrounding gated compounds are also catholic institutions. there is a cathedral-style church, there is the priest's house in which the 4 of us stayed along with some of the nurses who work at the CSC, there are a few convents, a few schools, a leprosy hospital, a rehabilitation centre for women (after they become widows they are taught skills that will allow them to support themselves), and a school for deaf children.
one day the priest that we were staying with took us to visit the school for deaf children. we entered the compound and first came upon a small group of boys in the back of one of the buildings. within a few seconds we were surrounded. soon after the girls came out also. it was a sea of hands and faces all around us, each one demanding attention. it was sensory overload and excitement to the max, but all in complete silence. occasionally i heard a girl laugh out loud but other than that no one made any sound. they spelled out words in english on our hands and on note pads, asking all kinds of questions. some of the girls danced for us - (the macarena!).
it wasn't very long, maybe 20minutes that we were there - but it was incredible and overwhelming.
by far one of my favourite experiences being here
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