DR RADICA MAHASE
Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, journalist with the New York Times, once said, "A good special-education teacher is hard to find and even harder to hang on to.”
A few months ago, I ran into a young man who very proudly told me that he is a teacher specialising in special-needs education. In that short meeting, he confidently spoke of his desires to change the education system in TT and his ideas of restructuring the curriculum so that all children, regardless of learning abilities, would have access to an education. This week, I am sharing his story.
“I am Keron Khadoo. I am 33 years of age and belong to a small village in south Trinidad. My passion is helping differently-abled and abled children to learn and reach their full potential. I also have a knack for art, floral and decorative designing. I'm from a humble family that over the years became really small as my father and two older brothers have passed.
"Growing up I always knew I wanted to be a teacher so I started off in this direction. However, my interest and love for special-needs education came into reality and I became even more passionate when my nephew was diagnosed with autism. The kindness and love he has within him warmed my heart beyond words. I knew this is what I wanted to do, to be a small part of these children's lives – even if I can make 1 per cent impact on their lives, I knew they were making 100 per cent on me.
"During the period of studying for my degree in special education I have met with some challenges along the way. My brother, who was 36 years at the time, passed away and this had a major impact on me emotionally. My parents, sister and friends were there for me with all the encouragement and I got back on track. Six months later, my dad passed on. It was such a trying time, filled with grief and sadness, but I remembered my father's words of encouragement and ploughed forward. I sincerely thank my family and friends who helped me get through the tough times to continue persevere.
"I really enjoy working with special children, the warmth and love they have is overwhelming. The passion these children have to learn is amazingly profound. They light up the lives of everyone around them and I am really privileged to have this opportunity to be a small part of their lives.
"Being a facilitator at Rahul’s Clubhouse has been such an amazing journey so far. Every day is a new adventure for me. Working with children of different ages who are on the spectrum – they have shown me so much love and appreciation in the time we spend together. Seeing the kids progress and their willingness to learn give me a reason to smile and tell me what I know – I can make a difference! Also, Rahul himself has made a great impact in my life as we bonded from our very first meeting. I know that he knows that I am here to make a difference in his life, even though he might not communicate verbally with me.
[caption id="attachment_1020693" align="alignnone" width="960"] Keron and Rahul engaged in activities at Rahul's Clubhouse. - Co
