Fighting for an Education
The future looked bleak for deaf children and their families at the beginning of the Parents' Empowerment Project in Namibia.
The majority of profoundly deaf children had virtually no ability to communicate with their families and had no chance of ac accessing education. Despite the Namibian government's policy proclaiming equal opportunities for all, there are only two schools for the deaf accommodating only a tiny percentage of the country's deaf children.
This project has been a revelation to the 75 families involved from the Ohangwena region. They have realised that there is a need both for parents to act themselves and also to demand that the government considers their children's rights to education. So far parents have been granted a plot of land from the government on which to construct a preschool and have appointed a deaf teacher.
Parents have started to learn sign language and are trying hard to make up for lost time in developing relationships with their children. At the same time they are learning more about deafness in order to accept their child's deafness and see it in a more positive light.
Whilst they know that they can do many things themselves, it is only the government that can provide their children with the education they deserve. The parents have started a lobby group to put pressure on the regional education authorities. A regular gift will help support parents like these all over the world to continue their fight.
