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Message from the founding father of the institute, Mr. Einar Kippenes


Ski, 16.02.17
Dear friends at Muenselling Institute,

On this day, 44 years ago, two visually impaired boys were sitting on the lawn where you are standing now, with a group of people around them. Both of them were from Yurung and they came together with the father of the oldest and the elder sister of the youngest. They did not like to be here at all. They had no intension of coming here to learn to read and write. In their mind this was not achievable at all. This was impossible, - like climbing to heaven by the help of a thin rope.

At the same time they had a strange feeling of being welcomed. They were served a good meal with fresh gashu-kamptang.

They were surprisingly quick in learning words like: door, window, chair, desk. And sentences like: Open the door. Close the window. Stand up. Come here. And quite soon they understood that all the words and sentences was the doorway into a new language and into a new world of knowledge. They, and their visually impaired friends who gradually arrived, chose to use the opportunity this door-way had given them.

As students of Muenselling Institute you have got the same opportunity and you have chosen to use it. Congratulations! This opens up different possibilities for you in the future. - Possibilities to become independent people in your society and to make your own choices.

You are on the way. However, to manage the daily challenges, - you need inspiration to do your homework. You need motivation to answer your question papers. You need concentration to solve the exercises in the math book and to remember the stories in the English reading book. You need to ask for help and guidance, and you need to receive all the advice you can get with curiosity and with an open mind.

But you also need to keep in mind that all you hear and read may not be true. You have received values in your life which tells you what is true and what is false.

Finally, friend: you have good reasons to be thankful for the opportunities you have got to chose the truth and the knowledge and the good fellowship with your friends. Go forward!

We wish you all the best.
Kind greetings,
Einar