Muharrem
Muharrem lives in Istanbul, where like most places, people who can sign to communicate with the deaf are often rare.
So for Muharrem, communicating is a challenge, a struggle to express himself and understand what others wish to express to him.
Then one day, suddenly everything changed.
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Corporate giant Samsung was setting up a new call center in Turkey for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
Along with Leo Burnett, their ad agency, they wanted to tell the Turkish people about this special call center, and they hit upon a remarkable idea.
Secretly working with Muharrem's sister Ozlem, they persuaded many of the people from his neighborhood to learn sign language, which Samsung taught them in a 30-day class.
Meanwhile, Samsung placed hidden cameras all over the neighborhood to capture what would happen next.
On December 28th, 2014 Ozlem and Muharrem took a walk together.
Much to Muharrem's surprise, everywhere they walked, people warmly wished them a "Good Morning," in sign language.
At the local bakery, with a big smile, the baker offered them bagels in sign language.
At the grocery store, a man offered each of them an apple in sign language.
As the signing continued each place they went, Muharrem was happily bewildered, for he had never before experienced anything like this.
In the finale, when he and his sister reached the Town Square, his signing neighbors joyously surrounded them.
And as you will see, Muharrem's reaction to them is deeply touching.
He understood the effort his neighbors had made to communicate with him, a profound gift to a man who until now, has lived with communication barriers throughout his life.
If you would like to witness this special day, please see http://kindnessblog.com/2016/01/25/an-entire-neighbourhood-secretly-learned-sign-language-to-surprise-their-deaf-neighbor/ It includes a 2 minute, 41 second video showing that deeply touching walk.
