‘I am Deaf’

Imagine you are at the shops and the cashier asks you a question. You can see that she’s waiting for your answer, because her eyes tell you so. But you don’t know what she is saying. Nor can you read her lips, which – in normal times – is how you get by in situations like these. Today, the cashier is wearing a face mask.

One of our team, Vix, was born deaf. She has always lived in the ‘hearing world’ in which

I mainly thought I could ‘get away with it.’”

Vix joined the team in February so getting to know her has largely been limited to online sessions, emails and WhatsApp. Given the steep learning curve we’ve all faced in adapting to using new platforms, it is even more impressive that Vix’s ability to lipread on Zoom is such that many of our team had no idea that she was deaf until last week.

Nor had it occurred to some of us how beneficial transparent face masks might be (arguably not just for those who are hard of hearing).

Zombies”

… is how Vix describes the impression she gains of people wearing cloth face masks. Her response to her own recent experiences, which have left her feeling isolated, has been to turn them into something positive: Vix has decided to tell the story of her deafness:

“Instead of hiding that part of me .. I need to stand up and acknowledge my deafness .. [as] an essential and positive part of me.”

It’s a brave move, and Vix admits to being terrified about starting her blog, which is entitled, ‘I am deaf‘. Vix is currently unable to attend any virtual meetings as one of her hearing aids has stopped functioning. Meetings already held challenges as there is a great deal – body language etc – which cannot be interpreted online.

Vix hopes that automated subtitles will become available on Zoom, but otherwise she relies on the lighting on each team member’s face being good enough for her to read their lips, and it’s always great when the ‘chat’ facility is used. Of course, it’s tricky when hands go over mouths (something many of us do unconsciously). As Vix says,

“If I can’t lipread, then it’s like a blur, and when people speak louder, it’s just a louder blur!!! With lipreading, and facial expressions, the blur turns into a sound that I recognise. It’s really tricky to explain actually. It just becomes clearer.”

Some Zoom Tips

Fortunately for us, Vix’s latest ‘I am deaf‘ post is on ‘The Zoom Call Minefield’ and it won’t stop there. Vix is aware there is much that she can share that will be helpful to us all.

Please do take a look. Think about all the people you’re going to encounter – online and in reality – over the next weeks and months.

“Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle. And if you really want to see what people are, all you have to do is look.” – Auggie Pullman (Wonder)

Refugee Week: Refugees in A Time of Crisis – 13

This week is Refugee Week, and we have tried to think about the realities faced by refugees by listening to true stories told in innovative ways by people who understand the transformative power of empathy.

On our Facebook and Instagram sites we curated a set of exercises in empathy to help deepen our understanding of the global refugee crisis. We highlighted five perspectives. One for each day.

Day 1: Perspective of a child living in a camp

“We walked for days crossing the desert to Jordan.”

On Monday we met Sidra. She’s 12. Living in a refugee camp. She showed us around her home in this 360 video [you can also use google cardboard with this]

Day 2: Perspective of ordinary people faced with a global crisis on their doorstep

On Tuesday we hung out with some of our local heroes who explained what motivated them to take action.

Alice said:

“Because if I were in their shoes I would like to think someone would do it for me and my family.”

While Sarah agreed:

“What is going on is simply not OK… and we are not OK with this.”

We also met Valentina (founder of RefugEase) and Jaz O’Hara (founder The Worldwide Tribe).

Day 3: Understanding perspectives – tourists and refugees listen and talk on a Greek island

On Wednesday, we whisked you away to a beautiful Greek island and invited you to witness conversations between tourists and refugees. A simple (but very effective) way of showing how different it can be when people talk to each other, instead of about each other.

Day 4: Perspective of a parent of child in a safe school

On Thursday we looked at the refugee crisis from the perspective of parents with their children in safe schools (very local to us in Sevenoaks). Maria, a parent, struck us with these words,

“You may be surprised to know that a refugee looks exactly like me.” Amira, also a former refugee, said “One of the most important and precious things to do .. is to notice [refugees], remember they are like us and be interested in them.”

Day 5: Perspective of a person forced to choose what to take as they flee

And finally, on Friday, through two compelling short films we revealed the one critical item most refugees take with them on their desperate journeys.

Thank you for joining us throughout the week, and engaging with the questions we posed. We hope that – like us – you have been reminded why it is crucial to continue to watch and listen and act, and give voice to those who have none.

WANT TO DO SOMETHING: BE A FRIEND, CHOOSE SOLIDARITY.

We are also grateful that many of you have undertaken an act of solidarity by sending our Friendship from Syria Bracelet. These beautiful woven pieces serve as a reminder that friendship is perhaps the most important thing each of us can give.

Tomorrow is World Refugee Day. We are reminded again that people, just like us, flee their homes every single day – This does not change – today, tomorrow, or in the weeks, months and years to come.

So please keep noticing and talking. As Amira said, “Our attention to others is powerful.” – a message which is in itself empowering, and encourages us – in this time of intense crisis – to be more determined than ever to choose empathy and stand in solidarity with refugees.

#RefugeeWeek #SolidarityWithRefugees #ChooseEmpathy #LocalHeroes

Storytelling in a Time of Crisis – 12

Storytelling is at the heart of what Empathy Action does. We tell real stories of poverty and desperation and hope through our simulations, our makers’ gifts, our posts, and our photographs.

Photo by Alpkhan Photography

We try to stand in another’s shoes, and invite others to do the same.

Although we are currently unable to run our simulations, we know that it is more important than ever that these narratives continue to be told. And so we are reflecting on how to deliver our stories in innovative and fresh ways.

So when a storyteller offered to share his own insights about what makes a story work, we were keen to listen.

Tom Williams, of Prospect Arts, is a storyteller and film-maker, and a friend of Empathy Action. Prospect Films produces films that matter – including documentaries that give voice to the voiceless, and meet injustice head-on.

First, Tom was interested to hear what we thought. Our responses were all individual, but in essence were the same:

Tom agreed and elaborated: for him a story must ignite passion, and it does this by disrupting the narrative. Attention is grabbed through the telling of a shocking fact or a powerful statement – a problem – which compels a person to find a solution. From that can come hope.

At Empathy Action we strive to disrupt and alter perspectives by inviting participants at our simulations to question their own lives in the light of what is happening to others.

This year, the entire world narrative has been disrupted (in more than one respect). It is an opportune moment for us to reassess how best we achieve our ambition of enabling others to choose empathy, and – together – create a powerful force for change.

The hope in a story may not always be obvious or clear-cut, and may even – in many cases – seem impossible, but it is our joint responsibility to bring it to light and allow it a chance to grow.

Please keep an eye on what we, at Empathy Action, are doing as we navigate a new course through these fast-changing times.

As always, take care of yourselves – and others.

#chooseempathy #storytelling #hope #together

Tom’s latest project is The Final Fix, which examines the Opioid Crisis in America. In particular, it explores a potential treatment for addiction that is effective and cheap, but largely ignored. It is a powerful piece of storytelling, and – we believe – a must-see.

Empathy in a Time of Crisis – 9

Continuing our blog about this time of global crisis from the perspective of a voluntary team, taking each day as it comes. Thank you for reading.

What’s in a photo…?

Someone in the early 20th century is supposed to have said: “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Here we are a century later, in the grip of a pandemic, and these words are amplified. In our technological age we can connect with each other in virtual ways, and so we are able to enjoy an extra special dimension to life. Grandparents can applaud their grandchildren’s first steps via FaceTime, lessons and plays are delivered online, and photos stream to our screens as loved ones share beautiful views or a smile from a familiar face.

Telling stories through photos is something Empathy Action has been exploring this week. At a time when we are far apart, it continues to be a wonderful way for us to stay together. Here are our stories, from afternoon tea to garden magic. We hope you enjoy them.

: Garden Joy

: Being the Youngest

: Together

: Catch a Rainbow

: Washing Line?

: Gamers

: Miaow

: Miaow to you too!

: Solidarity

: Rooms

: Afternoon Tea

: New Skills

: Siblings

The power of a simple series of photographs to narrate one of the key stories of today, and do good at the same time, is clear to see here. Ordinary, yet extraordinary, people taking photos with their phones of life and work in our hospitals in order to create a short fund-raising film focusing on the ‘hands that make us proud’.

Stay safe, keep connected, and please do get in touch with your own photo stories. We would love to see them.

#chooseempathy #sharestories

Rainbow Empathy in a Time of Crisis – 7

Team Empathy Journal – Part 7

Continuing our blog about this time of global crisis from the perspective of a voluntary team, taking each day as it comes. Thank you for reading.

Last weekend saw the launch of our fabulous Rainbow Campaign. So many heart-warming words have come our way:

“These beaded curios take me right back to happy times … I would love to brighten up a little lonely low patch.”

“I wish I could send them across the world.”

One friend wrote to say how wonderful it was to be able to “shift mindsets with a simple trigger.”

As our Innovations Manager, Sandy says, “It’s been a huge privilege to be conveying the beautiful messages that people are sending.”

So it’s probably time to meet our Rainbow Makers … the Vashavi, the amazing artisans behind these symbols of hope.

Based in Cape Town, Patmore Mphepo and his team of 12 work from home – a house with two bedrooms (some of the artisans sleep in the sitting room). They start work each morning at 6am, crafting Rainbows and other gifts by hand. The best days are when an order is received. On other days, the craftsmen go out and sell what they’ve made on the streets. But selling like this is nigh on impossible with the current crisis, and life will become even harder in the coming months as Winter arrives in South Africa.

Patmore and his co-workers are from Zimbabwe, but came to South Africa with the aim of earning money to support their families, which is why “nothing makes us happier than having orders, meaning that our families are taken care of.”

Patmore continues, “Selling handicrafts makes a huge difference to our lives and that of our families. The money is spent on sending our kids to school. Some buy medication for their family members which is in short supply in Zimbabwe.”

The men take great pride in their craft, and are passing on their skills to younger people who have followed in their footsteps in search of a better life. They also love “putting smiles on our family members’ faces when they receive trinkets from us.”

We asked Patmore what his greatest fear is. He replied, “Going without work, knowing that at the end of the month we need to pay our rent and send groceries home to Zimbabwe.”

Patmore hopes that in the future he and his team, “might work from the comfort of our own country.”

He also hopes that the people who buy their gifts “know that they are making a difference not only to the artists but to their immediate families.”

If you would like to send a Rainbow to a special person you care about, we still have a few left. Thank you so much for your support.

Stay in touch, keep connected and take care of yourselves – and others.

#chooseempathy #rainbow #lockdownlove #hope #giftsthatgivetwice

I mainly thought I could ‘get away with it.’”

Zombies”