PEN-International was a sponsor of the world premiere of "Discovering Shuktara," a film produced by Discovering Deaf Worlds (DDW). The premiere was held in Rochester, New York, on 22 July 2009. Founded in January 2007, DDW travels the world to learn and share stories of empowerment, inspiration and connection between international Deaf communities. "Discovering Shuktara" is a "remarkable story of 18 boys and girls in Kolkata, India, who were given a new chance at life after being abandoned by their families or escaping abusive homes. While many non-governmental organizations in India often overlook homeless children who are deaf or have cerebral palsy, Shuktara embraces them." Shuktara Founder, David Earp, summarizes this experience "Before, they (deaf children) were written off as incapable of learning, developing as individuals or integrating into society. Now, boys and girls grow in every sense-physically, in confidence, in skills, in communication."