For me, the Personal Project has been an eye opening journey. I decided to learn sign language, specifically Mozambican Sign Language and it has opened up a whole new world for me.
By Khushi
I took this opportunity to move away from my comfort zone and learn more about the wider community that lives amongst us. The deaf school is just around the corner and yet can appear to be light years away when we aren't able to communicate with each other. This is why I found it important to learn sign language. During some of the first few weeks of the Personal Project, fear and excitement were some of the emotions I felt as before this moment I had never tried to reach out to the deaf community in any way. But the Personal Project proved to be just the beginning and this journey has yet to end.
Historically, those with hearing impairments have been faced with marginalization and oppression. They were deemed “dumb” as languages could only be learned by hearing and speaking and they were prohibited from using signs as a way of communicating. In the 16th century, a Spanish Benedictine monk named Pedro Ponce de León first developed the concept of sign language. He used signs as a way to communicate his messages during his period of silence. Over time his idea evolved into the creation of many different sign languages where each country or region has its own. It is very surprising to some that a universal sign language does not exist. A universal sign language is a concept that would require every country and every deaf community to know it and to use it. But this is unable to happen due to the differing signs and accents that each region might have, ensuring that these signs are used and understood differently. Instead,there is an International sign method also known as Gestuno. This sign method is used between two or more deaf communities as a way to communicate with each other and is also used during international meetings. Its sole purpose is to ensure that international institutions are able to be inclusive of all deaf communities around the world. Gestuno is similar to how English is considered the world's Lingua franca. Like English, it is commonly shared between communities with different sign languages. One of the reasons why I decided to learn sign language was because of the need for it. Our community has historically isolated ourselves from the deaf community because of our inability to communicate with them. This inability to communicate has caused us to create stereotypes, prejudice and social assumptions about the deaf community, which creates barriers between both communities. As a result, people with disabilities rarely have their voice heard and are forced to adapt to a world that is not accessible to them. This creates a challenge for all people with disabilities to experience “normal”, day-to-day activities. As a speaking individual, I took it as my responsibility to do what I could to try to break down this barrier and create change. Learning Mozambican Sign Language will help me solve this problem at a local level and allow me to connect with the deaf community. Through my experience, Mozambican Sign Language is one of the easiest languages that I have had to learn. Although I was faced with multiple challenges that I have had to overcome along the way, the process was quite simple. I took classes twice a week at the local deaf school for about an hour and half. Each class would introduce a new topic where we would learn different signs and use them in sentences as a way of applying what we learned. During some classes our sign language teacher would invite others to come to our class to help boost interactions using sign language with other deaf students and teachers. One of the biggest challenges that I faced at the beginning of this journey was finding online resources. All of the resources that I could find were about ASL (American Sign Language) or BSL (British Sign Language) as they are the most common and known sign languages. Due to the fact that Mozambican sign language is a language that is only used in Mozambique and by those who live here, not many sources online teach it. As a result, I had to resort to finding primary sources and using the deaf school as one of my biggest resources for this project. One of my proudest moments during the process was getting my sign name. A sign name is a name that is given to you by a deaf person as a way of referring to you in sign rather than spelling your name out. They use your physical characteristics along with your personality to choose a name that best fits you. This was a milestone for me as it means that now I am now a speaking person who is a part of the deaf community. "Learn sign language at the playground" by Valerie Everett is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 .
Now that I am adequately able to sign, new opportunities and possible experiences have arisen for me. I am often referred to as a translator by my sign language teacher as multiple times I have had to translate things from Portuguese or English to Mozambican Sign Language. For the Personal Project presentation I was the Mozambican Sign Language interpreter. Although there weren't any deaf people in the crowd, doing this was still important and it served as an eye-opener as to how important simple gestures and actions are in helping to boost inclusivity. In addition, learning Mozambican Sign Language has allowed me to bring our school community closer to the deaf community by communicating what I have learned.
Hopefully, this is a sign of the changing times.
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Rock climbing is an ever-evolving sport that has captured imaginations around the world, and become one of the most popular extreme sports over the last 100 years. But there is a less visible aspect of rock climbing that might be missed by observers of the sport: the culture that has been built up around it. A culture that has inspired and given a sense of belonging to people around the world for generations.
By Jaya
As an avid climber, I decided to explore this culture for my Personal Project. I wanted to consider more deeply what it is about climbing that people like myself find so compelling and empowering.
The short film I produced explores what it’s like to be a part of the rock climbing community, how rock climbers rely on a deep trust of each other, its overall social dimensions, and how a sport is able to transform the lives of thousands of people around the world. Numerous climbing experts are interviewed from places as far afield as South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, all giving insights on how how climbing has influenced their lives in profound ways. Enjoy the documentary film below and if you want to try out rock climbing for yourself, the perfect opportunity awaits you at Roc n' Rope Adventures in Waterval Boven, South Africa, only an hour away from Nelspruit. Getting an insider's look at working a doctor's shift at Hospital Privado - that was my aim for the MYP Personal Project and thanks to Dr. Mauro I got the chance to do just that. So, what did I learn about the day-to-day of a career in medicine? Reporting by Claire With a growing curiosity in the medical field I saw an opportunity in shadowing a doctor for my Personal Project. Already considering studying medicine in the future, the personal project helped me indulge in my passion and learn more about it. After having a hard time finding a local doctor to shadow, I consulted the school nurse, Ms. Ivandra for suggestions. She was able to put me in touch with Dr. Mauro working at a Private Hospital in Maputo. My day-long shadowing opportunity provided me with a view into the duties and responsibilities, patient care and public vs private health (specifically in Mozambique). Dr. Mauro is a doctor specialized in Otorhinolaryngology. After working as a general practitioner he did his specialization in ENT (ear, nose and throat). In Mozambique, there is a significant difference in Public and Private Health. Dr. Mauro has worked on and off in public health for 13 years and in the private sector for 9. Currently, he works at the Private Hospital in Maputo. The day started early at 8:30 with rounds in the hospital, where the doctor checks on their current patients. The doctor also spends time reviewing test results and making treatment plans with the medical team. During the day, the doctor may also perform procedures such as surgeries or diagnostic tests. Doctor Mauro had performed surgery on a child with tonsillitis the day before. During the 5 hours I spent at the hospital, I was able to observe 9 different patients all with different diagnoses, the theater, a post-op check-up, interaction with other doctors and an insight into the differences between Private and Public health in Mozambique. Shadowing Mr. Mauro provided a front-row seat to the delicate and often emotional interactions between medical professionals and their patients. I observed that the doctor must strike a balance between providing necessary information and offering comfort and support to patients and their families. Ranging from just a minor ear infection, to removing fungi within the ear, Dr. Mauro was able to aid each patient. One of my key observations made during the day was, when coming to a diagnosis, doctors also have to consider the patient's lifestyle. This means that the common social activities may be a contributing factor to their problem. They have to relate possible diagnoses to other events happening in people's lives. For example, in Mozambique it is extremely hot, leading to people swimming a lot. The majority of the diagnoses that I saw during the day were infections caused by the humidity (from swimming) in the ear. Being a doctor requires an extensive amount of knowledge not only in the medical field but also in other areas. After every diagnosis, he had to relate the problem back to the patient's lifestyle to see if there could be any changes made to benefit the patient. For example, one of the patients had an excessive amount of earwax in the ear canal. This was caused by the constant machines the patient was surrounded with. From the loud noise caused by the machines, her ears would create more and more wax to protect its canal. This led to severe ringing, lack of sleep and blocked ears. Coming to a diagnosis is almost like a mystery in a sense, where you try to unravel the case. 70% of all diagnoses with patients come from talking to them, according to Dr. Mauro. In addition to being informative, this shadowing experience was also humbling. I observed patients that suffer from pain caused by accidents, day-to-day difficult lives, etc. I saw how drastically the pain had changed people’s lives, from the loss of being able to work productivity to decreased physical activity. I witnessed Dr. Mauro’s passion for patient care put to work as he helped patient after patient regain control of their life and provide relief. Follow-up patients that praised him for their pain relief and improvements with their range of motion were inspiring and satisfying to see. During the experience, I noticed that a crucial element is the importance of teamwork in delivering quality medical care. The doctor works closely with nurses, medical assistants, and other healthcare professionals to ensure that patients receive the best possible care.
Being a doctor is not without its challenges, and shadowing highlights the heavy workload and long hours that many medical professionals face. Within Mozambique, there is a large struggle of under-staffing, low renumeration and lack of resources. Dr. Mauro mentioned that the reality of Mozambique is that you have to work hard and build yourself up to gain a sufficient amount of money. The doctor must also navigate complex ethical and legal issues, such as patient privacy and informed consent. Shadowing a doctor for a day offers a valuable learning experience for anyone interested in pursuing a career in medicine. It provided me with a behind-the-scenes look at the daily duties and challenges faced by medical professionals and highlighted for me the crucial role of doctors in our society. This experience only served to strengthen my decision to pursue a career in medicine. |
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