VOA标准英语2010年-Kenyan Boarding School Provides Hope f

Joseph Shiroko, founder¹ of Brian Resource Center, communicates with a student in sign language

In Kenya, educational and career opportunities are almost non-existent for people born with multiple physical challenges. They face many forms of discrimination - including lingering beliefs that their condition was caused by a curse. But one father whose son Brian was born deaf, mute and legally blind aims to change all that. Joseph Shiroko started a school four years ago that teaches students who cannot hear, speak, and who have very low or no vision, a wide array of skills to support themselves.

The baby clothes the students knit are well known in the local community. Students also produce energy-saving briquettes made from shredded² recycled paper, sawdust and other ingredients.  And the school has developed a reputation for its dried smoked meat products.

It's all in a day in the life at Brian Resource Center, a boarding school that teaches deaf and blind young Kenyans from across the country a variety of skills they can use to earn a living.

 

"We have a number of philosophies that inform what we are doing: accepting these people; loving them; giving them opportunities; trying to just think outside the box," said founder Joseph Shiroko.  "Above all, what we are saying [is, we are] trying to do what I would call ordinary things, but in an extraordinary way."

Instructors³, most of whom are graduates or are themselves physically⁴ challenged, work with students in such areas as animal husbandry, poultry⁵ rearing, tailoring, organic fertilizer production and re-forestation.

Mary Kerubo, 22, has a passion for knitting sweaters, which she plans to continue in her village.

"Because of the problems I face at home, I feel comfortable here because Sween [my teacher] understands me," said Kerubo.  "Even if I do not see well, she always repeats her lessons again and again so that I may understand how to make sweaters. I know I will make it."

Kerubo's teacher, Sween Lyaka, was among the first graduates of Brian Resource Center four years ago. She says her students have a lot of unrecognized potential.

Sween says in the future, she plans to purchase four sewing machines that she will use to teach students and produce and sell sweaters in her home village.

Brian Resource Center offers a one-year residential⁶ program. Groups of four students live in family-style set-ups, contributing to household chores as they undergo their skills training.

The center also works extensively with students' families to set up projects that will continue after the students graduate.

That is what Alvin Ejakait and his father Victor plan to do.

"His concern mainly is livestock⁷ farming and in the beginning, he showed interest in livestock farming whereby he can [now] feed animals," said Victor, interpreting for his son.  "We have tried actually to get some animals for him so that when he is at home, he must be able to take care of them."

It is difficult for many physically-challenged people to get educational and career opportunities in Kenya, especially those with more than one condition. Educational facilities and expertise⁸ are few,
and there is still a stigma⁹ associated with being physically challenged.

Founder Joseph Shiroko's son, Brian, was the inspiration behind Brian Resource Center. The senior Shiroko says he began the school initially¹⁰ as a project to teach Brian bakery skills.

The family later expanded Brian's training and brought in other young people with similar physical conditions. The elder Shiroko and his wife Mary are now training Brian to head up the center.

 

1 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

2 shredded   

shred的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Serve the fish on a bed of shredded lettuce. 先铺一层碎生菜叶，再把鱼放上，就可以上桌了。
• I think Mapo beancurd and shredded meat in chilli sauce are quite special. 我觉得麻婆豆腐和鱼香肉丝味道不错。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 instructors   

指导者，教师( instructor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The instructors were slacking on the job. 教员们对工作松松垮垮。
• He was invited to sit on the rostrum as a representative of extramural instructors. 他以校外辅导员身份，被邀请到主席台上。

4 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

5 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

6 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

7 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

8 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

9 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

10 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。