Quraanic Braille Workshop - Madressa Noor for the Blind, South Africa - March 2007
All praise be to Allah. We have been very fortunate to organize our first local Quraan Braille Workshop for students at our centre in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa from the 26th to the 30th of March 2007. From the 11 Students that attended, 9 were from overseas and the rest were from South Africa. The purpose of the course was to train teacher’s the technique and the methodology of teaching a Blind person. Our focus centered on teaching a Blind person to read the Holy Quraan in Arabic Braille. A Qaaida or Primer known as the Noor-Ul-Quraan developed by our Institute was used to teach. The trainees were exposed to reading and writing Braille. They typed Braille using an expensive typewriter with six keys called the Perkins. They also tested a simpler and cheaper slate and pen used by poorer people. Both do the same job of making Braille. The physiological dimensions of Blindness were excellently addressed by an Opthamologist Dr. Cassim Jeewa Moolla of Durban. He delivered a lecture on the anatomy of the eye and presented many slides on the different causes of Blindness. Mr W. Goodness, an Orientation Mobility teacher demonstrated to us the use of the cane and techniques in walking and leading the Blind. Our teachers elaborated on the recitation and special reading skills that were required to read Braille. A case in point, as a sighted person your reading will be by the process of scanning. Your eyes do not focus on every letter or word per se` but move forward and backward. A blind person does not have your advantage. When he reads, he focuses on every letter by the stomach of his forefinger which he places and moves on every letter individually. Hence his pace would be slower than yours. Our trainees were exposed to the different spellings and exclusive contractions used in their Holy Quraan. The magic of the six dots was revealed. Our Blind Students interacted and played Blind cricket with their sighted friends during the week. Alhamdullah, it was a very fun and satisfying experience for the teachers and students. On Friday after Jumuah, the Graduates were presented with their certificates and a small Jalsa was held. The following are the Graduates names and the countries they come from: 1. M. Huzaifa Essack Azadville, South Africa 2. M. Saad Nadwi Limbe, Malawi 3. M. Mahde Cunudia, Trinidad 4. Fayyaadh Jeenah Jhb, South Africa 5. M. Cassim Akili Blantyre, Malawi 6. M. Hijaz Toofany Beau Bassin, Mauritus 7. M. Bilal Nadwi Limbe, Malawi 8. Ali M. Wasal Ausmarn Bangkok,Thailand 9. Idris Tembo Lusaka, Zambia 1 0. Ajmall Mossodeeq Port Louis, Mauritus 11. Abdullah Moolla Roshni, South Africa. Should any student from the following countries above wish to learn the Holy Quraan in Arabic Braille, please contact us for further details.
<< Click here to go back |
