US-Russia Volunteer Initiative (USRVI)

Stories from the Field

Zayra Badillo and Shoshana Billik
NGO “Nashi Deti,” Ryazan

Zayra Badillo with her student in Ryazan.

Shoshana Billik and Zayra Badillo worked with Nashi Deti (“Our Children”), an NGO for Handicapped Children in Ryazan. There, Shoshana and Zayra designed and taught computer classes at a local school for the deaf, created a computerized survey for the children, and configured a network for the school's computers. Shoshana and Zayra also helped Nashi Deti build its website and establish a database of its clients in Ryazan and the surrounding region. In their free time, Shoshana and Zayra gave individual computer lessons to disabled children.

Upon her return home, Shoshana applied and was awarded a USRVI alumni grant. As part of the grant, she was able to use new digital video conferencing to unite 10 disabled children at Blackford Elementary School in San Jose, CA with 16 students at Nashi Deti in Ryazan. The children discussed April Fools Day, Earth Day and the anniversary of WWII. The US children used special technology called DynaBoxes to communicate in Russian, and translation was provided on both sides. In addition, Nashi Deti Director, Natalia Epikhina, traveled from Ryazan to San Jose to learn how to use the technologies, including Intellikeys, that were utilized during both teleconferences. She also visited local schools that serve disabled students in order to discuss methods and tools with local teachers.

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