Our patron, HRH The Princess Royal officially opened our Dereham Resource Centre in Rash’s Green Industrial Estate, Dereham, Norfolk on 20 January. The centre is specially built to benefit people who are deafblind in the local area. She met Anila Bido, a deafblind woman who attends the centre.
You can
view the opening on video on iTV website.
More about Anila Bido
Anila Bido lives in Gressenhall near Dereham. Anila, 36, is blind, has little hearing and has learning difficulties.
Unfortunately, Anila didn’t have the best start in life. She was shut away in an Albanian orphanage living in terrible conditions. She didn’t receive proper care and had little human contact. Meal times consisted of bread being thrown in her cot.
At around ten years-old, she was discovered and operated on by an English eye surgeon. Sadly her restored sight was soon lost as a result of an impact where her retinas detached. Her troubles were compounded by injuries sustained from the civil war.
She came to the UK as a refugee when she was 16 years-old under the guardianship of a family, attending a specialist school where she began to thrive. Having some residual hearing and using speech, she was soon able to adjust to her new language and went on to complete courses at City College becoming ‘student of the year’.
Five years ago, Sense became involved with Anila and her life changed enormously. Sense helped Anila to move into supported living where she runs her own flat and can be as independent as possible. She flat shares with a friend and two guinea pigs. She makes use of assistive technology such as talking clocks, microwaves and alarms.
Anila also attends Dereham Resource Centre four days a week. Here she is learning braille and developing independent living skills.
In her own time, Anila likes to knit, line dance and go swimming. She is incredibly sociable and loves walking to her local pub, shopping and having tea with her adopted brother. Her favourite activity is going to London musicals including Abba’s Mamma Mia, Dirty Dancing and the Lion King. She loves the loudness and vibrations of the music. Sense has also supported Anila to go on holidays; the latest was to the Isle of Wight last year.
Anila would like to live on her own with her friends nearby, but is unsure if this will happen due to lack of Local Authority funding.
Karen Elsbury, Sense area manager says: “It is wonderful to see how much Anila has achieved from such a difficult start. Just five years ago Anila was in a residential home, but since being supported in her flat share she is now living as independently as possible. She now does her own washing, shopping and cooking, and manages her own money to make her own choices about what she spends it on. Anila loves people, is full of energy and truly makes the most of life.”
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