Farewell Speech1. "Special needs"Commonly defined by what a child can’t do

Farewell Speech
    Hello, everyone. My name is Minahil Meher and I would like to say a few words about my experience here at AH Foundation.
    "Special needs" are commonly defined by what a child can’t do — (1)by milestones unmet, activities avoided and experiences denied. These minuses hit families hard, and may make "special needs" seem like a tragic designation. But here at AH Foundation I have learnt that the aim is to (2)find the underlying strengths of these children that will not only help them excel in certain fields but will also help them grow into (3)a more respected part of society.
    Many people spend their whole lives wondering what their purpose in life is, whether they have a greater calling, something bigger than themselves or not. We may still not be 100% sure as to what our mission is, but what we do know for sure is that the time we’ve spent here was (4)part of our ultimate mission or goal of life. We have helped the children (5)reach their fullest potential, found a way to comfort and calm them, battled on behalf of their rights, (6)making everyday of our working meaningful. We not only accepted the children for who they are, but we embraced them whole-heartedly as if they were our very own.
    I have realized that working with a special child brings with it (7)abundant opportunities for grace. It slows you down and allows you to enjoy the little things; a hard won skill, a tight hug, a pleasant conversation and spontaneous displays of love. I have learnt how to do research, (8)find information and understand what specialists are talking about. And I have learnt through hard experience that you cannot wait for the answers to come to you, and that if you don’t go out and find them, things are never going to get done.
    It is often said by people who mean well that working with children with special needs "requires the patience of a saint." It is not true. (9)What it does require is human compassion; something more of us have than we seem ready to acknowledge. If there was a growth chart for us internees it would represent our doubt in our abilities to handle such an overwhelming challenge and how with time we have managed to reach greater percentiles by gaining control of the situations we have faced everyday.
    These three weeks at AH Foundation have been challenging but being able to successfully work with the special children and create within their little hearts love for us, has made our triumph even sweeter. With help from the (10)teaching staff, administration and fellow volunteers our journey here was made an absolute delight. I would like to thank Dr. Ayesha and Mrs. Firdous for giving all of us the opportunity to not only gain experience by working with these blessed children, but also the opportunity to grow. We can now walk out of this building with our heads held high, but only to return and give back a lot more than what we have received.