17th Annual HandiCamp

17th Annual HandiCamp(Camp for Severely Handicapped Children and Adults 2008)
Greetings from staff and special student of Bethany Home.
We are happy to inform you that the above camp will be held as follows;
Date : 14-16 March 2008 (3 Days 2 Nights)
Place : Cameron Highlands
Activitiesv Handicapped games/ Unified Team Gamesv
Paintingv
Visiting Local Placesv
Party Nightv
About Special Education and Disabled Friendly Placesv
Understanding about Special Needs Peoplev
Planting Trees (Community Project)v
Shopping with Special Needs People

Aims and Objectives of organizing camps.
v We, Bethany Home, believe that all Special Needs People have the right tolearn, enjoy and participant in activities like normal people.

v To build a disabled friendly community.v Widen life's experience for Special Needs People.

v Creating an opportunity for kind hearted volunteer to show their love tospecial needs people.

v Through the camp, Special Needs People can develop their learning andunderstanding abilities.

v Participating full time (3 days 2 nights) and taking care of Special NeedsPeople is the best way to learn about Special Needs People.

v Experience and knowledge gained through the camp can be shared with thecommunity.

v To provide an opportunity for Special Needs People to enjoy camp life.


According to the above Aims and Objectives, the volunteers ("able bodied"so called normal people) from the community will experience living with theSpecial Needs Person for 60 to 70 hours (3 days and 2 nights). During thecamp, they will have to eat, sleep, play, bathe, wash and even cleaningafter toileting for the Special Needs People. My staff will be there to helpthe worried and frightened volunteers.These volunteers will even take them out for a meal in the public. Avolunteer's job is to make sure that Special Needs People enjoy themselvesand feel accepted.At the end of the day, the volunteers will have a taste of what the parentsand siblings of Special Needs People have to go through every day, 365 daysa year. The volunteers quite often return home appreciating what they have,thanking God for their own families and also their health. Since they havebeen TOUCHED by the Special Needs People during the camp, we hope they willbe more willing to accept Special Needs People as "NORMAL People who happento be a little SLOW".
We have discovered that TALKING and PREACHING are ineffective in changingpeople's mind set. Camps like these have brought better results. In 2007,more than 200 people from the community who took part in our 3 camps wereblessed with new experiences and meaning in life. More than 150 SpecialNeeds People also had a chance to take part in these camps.


to go or not to go.. thats the question?