Andrew Miller is the International Director for DMI. When he’s not eating Jaffas in Sydney, he’s travelling around the world raising funds and DMI’s profile in developed countries or visiting the fields we support to see what’s needed and how our funds are being managed. Either way, he works tirelessly to avoid unidentifiable food and meets lots of weird and wonderful people who he just can’t resist interviewing…
#18 Gab
Joy Gabrielle Nicole Baranda (Gab) is one of the students at our school in Ligao, Philippines. At 16, she is vivacious and bright, yet her outgoing nature conceals a traumatic recent past which she shares with me freely in the guest room of the school. Principal Anabelle is there to interpret and support.
Andrew: We have a visiting mission team from America here now and they’ve been running many activities. You look like you’ve been enjoying yourself.
Gab: Yes, I’m enjoying myself very much – especially the dancing!
Yes, I noticed you’re a very good dancer.
Yes.
How can you dance so well if you are deaf?
It’s all in the heart and all in the mind. It’s just my own ideas. I just dance. It doesn’t matter if I can hear anything or not. I just love to dance.
Good for you. You’ll have to teach me one day. Can you tell me about your family?
My mother works as a teacher, and my father has a printing business. But I only recently found out that he is not my biological father.
Oh? How did you find out?
When I enrolled at the school here and I saw that my enrolled name was different from my mother’s name I asked her why. So my mother had no choice but to explain which was awkward because it was all a bit secretive up until then.
I see. How did you feel about that?
I found it confusing. I couldn’t understand why my biological father was different from the father that I had always known and grown up with. I had never met my biological father.
Do you have any brothers and sisters?
Only one sister with my stepfather so I have a half-sister.
How old is she?
She will be seven in November this year.
There’s been some trouble in your life recently. Are you comfortable talking about that?
[Gab shares freely with me under the care of Anabelle about two serious traumas she has recently suffered. Though Gab was happy for these to be published, the nature and details are disturbing and have been withheld at the request of her family.]
That must have been so terribly traumatic for you. I’m very sorry to hear that.
Yes, I was so scared.
Gab, I’m so sorry to hear this. It really it breaks my heart. I don’t know what to say. When did you tell your mother?
My mother was always out because she was teaching. She only found out when she came to the meeting at the school after I had told Annabelle.
This must all be very terrible for your mother too. How is she coping?
She keeps herself busy. We don’t really talk about it. Our main communication is through chat apps.
How is your younger sister? Is she OK?
Yes, she’s fine. And I’m teaching her sign language when I go home from the dorm.
Oh good! How is she improving? Is she doing well?
Yes, she’s doing well. Any opportunity I have, I teach her lots of vocabulary for use in the house like ‘plates’, ‘cups’, signs for animals and so on.
When did you first come to the school here and what were your feelings when you first came?
I came in 2022 and started in grade 7.
Had you been to a Deaf school before?
Yes, but I was very shy and didn’t learn much sign language. But now I’m really good at signing.
Yes, I’ve noticed. What do you like best about this school – Bicol Deaf Action?
I absolutely love it here. There’s no bullying. There’s no teasing. This is my favourite place in the whole world.
It seems like you have many friends here.
Oh yes, I’m always so happy to be here with close friends.
Do you have one best friend?
I think Angelica is my best friend but I’m also very close to Jewel. We have a good group of friends.
What grade are you in now?
I’m in grade 10.
Do you go to the church here at the school on Sundays with Pastor Arnel?
Yes, I go to church every Sunday.
What do you like about it?
When I’m tired or down, I go to church and I feel encouraged. I feel really happy to be with all the Deaf here in the church, worshipping and singing together in sign.
What do you want to do in the future when you graduate from school?
I’m thinking about that now. I like study and I’m studying well but I want to learn more about dance when I graduate, too. My dream is still coming together so I’m not sure how to proceed with this. I also want to be a teacher of small children. I think that would be really good.
Thank you for your time today and for being so open about your troubles. I hope you have nothing but joy from this point on. Is there anything you would like to ask me?
Well, firstly, I really appreciate you coming to the school so often. We like to have you here. Next time can you please come with a group of Australians?
Haha! Sure thing.
~
If you would like to sponsor Gab, or any of DMI’s teachers, pastors, schools or projects please go to https://deafmin.org/donate/ or click on the ‘Student sponsorship’ button below.
