Mon - Fri 07:30 - 13:30
Annual Report 2024 of the Dr. Reijntjes School for the Deaf in Sri Lanka.
The new school year started on January 2, 2024 with a total of 42 students; 20 girls and 22 boys. The staff members consisted of the founder/principal, a director, 6 teachers, an assistant teacher, an IT instructor, a matron, a cook, a gardener and part time; an accountant and a dance teacher.
End of January, some staff members and deaf pupils, were climbing Adams Peak. This is a yearly event of the school. All the children look always forward, to be chosen to be one of the groups.
This was a very important year because on February 2nd of this year, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Dr. Reijntjes School for the Deaf. Two deaf ladies; Mrs. Gerdine Kriellaars from Utrecht and Mrs. Elisabeth Lemahieu from Antwerp were our guests of honour on this festive day. We started by lighting the traditional oil lamp, exchanging gifts and watching old films of the deaf school. Afterwards there was a joint lunch at school with the guests, the staff members and the children.
On March 5th was the birthday of Tineke de Silva, the Founder/Principal. In connection with the 40th anniversary, a large group of former students secretly organized a big reunion with the staff members for former students and teachers. A beautiful program was made with dances, speeches and old films. A catering lunch was offered for 100 people. It was a very special day, never to be forgotten!
On April 6th there was an important dance performance in a large auditorium in Moratuwa with a total of 100 hearing children, where our deaf students provided 3 of the 25 dances. All parents of our deaf students were invited. Most of them were very emotional, to see their deaf child dance so beautifully in colourful costumes, among all the hearing children.
On May 1st Mrs. Nelda van Tuyl (NL) came with her family, to participate in activities in our deaf school for a day. It was a very pleasant day with games and the musical chairs. The day ended with a delicious lunch (catering) sponsored by the Bridge Club from Opijnen (NL).
One of our teachers, Sandhya, had surgery for breast cancer almost a year ago. She underwent chemotherapy and was fortunately able to teach part-time again, after 8 months of treatment.
The staff members attended a workshop on sex education for schools, organized by a professional group consisting of doctors and psychologists. The workshop for the students followed later.
Jasith, a researcher from the University of Singapore, came to Sri Lanka regularly this year, alone or with fellow students. They are working on developing AI-glasses for the deaf. With these glasses, deaf people can read the spoken language in the glasses, in this case Sinhala. One of the teachers, Mudithe (Director), Pathum (IT-Instructor) and the oldest deaf students, are involved in this research program, which is led by Prof. Surange Nanayakkara from the University of Singapore.
In June, a major storm raged, causing floods and landslides. In many parts of the country, schools were closed for a week. We were able to teach normal, as all the students and some of the staff members live in the deaf school.
The deaf mother of one of our students (Menaka) died at the age of 52 from a brain tumour. We went to the funeral with the staff members and a group of deaf students.
On September 5, teacher Gayathri’s daughter was born. Unfortunately, she can’t come back to teach in our school, because she lives too far away.
On September 12, two Dutch volunteers, Nienke and Esther, arrived in Sri Lanka to help in the deaf school for 3 months. They were quickly settled in. They started immediately with learning the sign language and assisted wherever necessary. They just ate like everyone else in school, rice and curries with their hands. They enjoyed the hot Sri Lankan meals! They baked Dutch pancakes, together with the deaf pupils and also gave a presentation on the smart board about their life in the Netherlands.
On September 21, the presidential elections were held, which this time went very peacefully, without a single incident. It was a big surprise that the newly elected president, Anura Kumare Dissanayake, received 42% of the votes. He comes from a left-wing Marxist party.
We celebrated International Children’s Day on October 1 this year very exuberantly! Dance teacher Rashmi had invited children from her dance groups to come and perform various dances in our school garden. Together with our deaf students, a total of 200 children were present. A total of 15 dances were shown, 3 of which were by our deaf students. Afterwards, ice cream was served and the children were allowed to dance to beautiful music led by a DJ.
On October 2nd, a group of students from the Asian International School came to visit. They had collected goods such as rice, lentils, soap, toothpaste etc. which they handed over. They also made time to play some games with the deaf students and to communicate with them, through an interpreter.
In October, we could not escape a heavy storm, just like in June. Many buildings were damaged, there were floods everywhere and 16 people died. Trees were uprooted. Many schools were forced to close.
Mudithe (Director) and Pathum (IT-Instructor) left for Singapore for 10 days on October 6th at the invitation of Prof. Suranga Nanayakkara. Together with researchers from the University of Singapore, they helped to develop the “deaf glasses”. Our deaf school plays an important role in this process.
One of our students, Dhara, a deaf orphan girl, became a ‘’big girl’’ in November. In Sri Lankan culture, this is celebrated with rituals. A few staff members were invited to the orphanage for this party.
Rashmi, the dance teacher, started practicing a special new peacock dance. The deaf students will participate in a dance festival with 100 peacocks next year. That will be a colourful event!
The parents ’day was held on December 6, also the last school day of 2024. The school tests were over and the parents were handed over the final reports. The school year runs parallel to the calendar year in Sri Lanka.
In good consultation with the Board Members in the Netherlands of the Foundation for Support of the Dr. Reijntjes School for the Deaf, this Foundation was dissolved on August 1, 2024. All sponsors of the deaf school were in time informed about this.
The board members of the Dr. Reijntjes School for the Deaf Trust in Sri Lanka, will take now the full responsibility. From now on, direct contact can be made with Mudithe de Silva (Director) or Tineke de Silva (Founder/Principal) in Sri Lanka. Donations can also be transferred directly to Sri Lanka.
Details of the Deaf School:
Dr. Reijntjes School for the Deaf
14/2, Andiris de Silva Mawatha
Rawathawatta, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Tel: +94-11-2655786 Mudithe: +94-710-350-250
Mail: tinekedesilvanijkamp@gmail.com
mudithe@gmail.com
Web: www.schoolforthedeaf.lk
Bank details:
Bank name: Standard Chartered Bank
Branch: Wellawatte, Colombo 06, Sri Lanka
Account name: Dr. Reijntjes School for the Deaf Trust
Account No: 01 6109349 01
Swift Code Bank: SCB LLK LX
We would like to thank all the sponsors, who have supported us so faithfully over the years. They have ensured that the school could continue to exist, so that we could provide the deaf children with an all-round education. On behalf of the deaf students and staff members, our sincere thanks! We would like to thank the Board Members of the Foundation in the Netherlands for their years of dedication to supporting the Deaf School in Sri Lanka.
The monthly newsletters can be read on our school website: www.schoolforthedeaf.lk
From January 1, 2025, these letters will no longer be sent individually by mail to the sponsors.
Mudithe De Silva (Director) and Tineke De Silva-Nijkamp (Founder/Principal)