Blind people brave hurdles to gain confidence<\/p>\n
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jatiluhur, Purwakarta, West Java<\/p>\n
The young woman wobbles on a length of rope suspended between two
\ntrees some five meters above the ground. Steadying ropes hung a
\nmeter apart to help her move from tree to tree provide her only
\nsecurity.<\/p>\n
"Don't lean too far forward! Keep your body upright! Move to
\nyour left," a guiding voice leads her as she moves unsteadily
\nbetween the trees. "Okay reach out and grab the other rope. Put
\nthe two ropes together, continue to your left".<\/p>\n
A person who can see would probably not need so many
\ninstructions, but Sri Ambarwati, 24, is one of 10 blind people
\nparticipating in this special program of Outward Bound Indonesia.<\/p>\n
"We organized this program for the blind from Laetitia during
\nthe fasting month because this is a slow month for us, and it's
\nour chance to help them," Outward Bound Indonesia founder and
\nexecutive director Djoko Kusumowidagdo said.<\/p>\n
The Laetitia Foundation for the Blind is an organization that
\nworks to empower the blind.<\/p>\n
For three days the 10 participants -- together with two
\nsupervisors and with the help of Outward Bound Indonesia
\nfacilitators -- challenged their limits, discovered new abilities
\nand built up their self-confidence with the help of Outward
\nBound's learning-by-doing technique.<\/p>\n
The first day was spent orientating themselves with their new
\nsurroundings. "Because they cannot see, it's important for them
\nto be able to maneuver around the place first," Djoko explained.<\/p>\n
Also because the participants cannot see, more time is spent
\nin familiarizing them with tools and equipment before each
\nactivity.<\/p>\n
For the High Ropes Challenge that Sri participated in, the
\norganizers first used a miniature set to illustrate to the
\nparticipants what they would do during each of the obstacles.<\/p>\n
"I'm not sure whether I can do it or not. I'm just going to
\ntry rather than be the only one on the ground," Maman, another
\nparticipant, said.<\/p>\n
As difficult as the challenges are for people who can see,
\nthey are even more so for those who cannot. The High Ropes
\nChallenge comprised 12 different challenges from climbing a rope
\nladder, crawling across a piece of rope, the wobbly "Elvis
\nchallenge" described previously and ending with the "flying fox",
\nwhich is sliding down a rope to the ground.<\/p>\n
"That Elvis bit was the most difficult, because I had no idea
\nof the distance to the next rope, and it was very wobbly up
\nthere," Sri said upon hitting the ground. Sri was fasting that
\nday, but said that she did not feel weak, "just very thirsty".<\/p>\n
Besides the High Ropes Challenge, the 10 participants also
\ntook part in canoeing.<\/p>\n
Being in water is a frightening experience for many of the
\nmembers, some of whom have never been in a pool, so before
\nsetting out in the canoes they were equipped with life vests and
\nintroduced to the water.<\/p>\n
"I was very scared. I've never been swimming before, but I
\nknow that the facilitators are there to keep watch," Suwardi, 30,
\na Padjajaran University graduate who lost his eyesight when he
\nwas six months old, said.<\/p>\n
After being given basic instructions on how to row,
\nparticipants were then paired off, given a canoe and told to try
\nand follow the whistle blown by a facilitator to direct them to a
\nsmall island in the Jatiluhur reservoir.<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, the exercise was less chaotic than expected, and
\nbesides the lengthier time it took to get to the island, most
\npairs made it.<\/p>\n
"We are trying to give them self-confidence, so they know that
\nthey are not wholly dependent on other people," Djoko said in
\nexplanation of the aim of the exercises.<\/p>\n
He said many of the participants usually had sheltered lives,
\nand direct experience with nature as well as experience in
\nteamwork would help them develop character.<\/p>\n
"Everyone has their own weaknesses and with Outward Bound are
\ntrying to recognize and overcome them. Mine is my tendency to be
\nsuper frightened," Melissa, the youngest in the group at 16 years
\nold, said laughing. And she does try, by participating in all the
\nactivities.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/blind-people-brave-hurdles-to-gain-confidence-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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