Kobusingye Jovia
Kobusingye Jovia
BushenyiUganda
About me
Kobusingye Jovia, a mother of deaf daughter struggles to find money to send her deaf daughter to school. This case study has been written about her by Hilary Pickup, a VSO volunteer working with Silent Voices.
My Story
Kobusingye Jovia is about 50 years old and has given birth to eleven children, of whom ten are alive and the last born is deaf. This young girl, Kyomukamua Miriam, was not treated as a member of the family when they realised she was deaf but always left at home to do the domestic chores. The mother said she was hurting so much to see her child treated this way by the rest of the family.
When it came to school fees the father paid for the other nine to go to school but would not agree to pay for their deaf daughter saying she was not worth educating. So Miriam was left at home when the rest went to school. The mother argued with the father to pay school fees for Miriam as well but he refused, saying he had to pay the others first and there was nothing left for Miriam. So Jovia struggled to find the fees herself and eventually at the age of 8 Miriam entered P1 at Rohandagazi school in Igara County in Bushenyi district, Uganda.
She is now 14 and is in P6 and doing well. Her teacher told me that she is always clean and smart and a very good pupil.
Like many other children in Africa, Miriam is a boarder at the school as she lives too far from the school for daily journeys. She has five older brothers– one is a teacher and one is a boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) driver - and they try to come to visit her at school when they can. Miriam also told me that they try to use some sign language as well to communicate with her. So other members of the family now treat her as a member of their family, however the father is still not persuaded that Miriam should be educated and he has never been to the school.
Jovia also joined the Parents Group and learned sign language In the classes funded by Deaf Child Worldwide so that she can now communicate with her daughter. Jovia told us that regretted that she had no schooling and really wants all her children to be educated. Jovia has found a different attitude in the Parents Group and enjoys meeting the other parents from whom she gets support. Together they have learnt that Deaf children can do what other children can do and should be treated equally.
In the discussion about what the parents wanted for the future Jovia expressed the view that if a secondary school nearby would provide education for their deaf children then they would work hard and struggle to find the fees. I was so impressed that despite all her problems over educating her daughter she was not asking for anyone to give her free education just to make the school possible and somehow she would find the money!!
I was so impressed with this woman who has really battled to educate her deaf daughter!
