Uganda
Our work in Uganda is growing as we start new partnerships with local organisations. Lack of services and family support mean that there is a lot to do, but as we continue to expand our work, we aim to create real and long-lasting positive changes for deaf children here.
Despite the fact that the Uganda government declared Universal Primary Education, there are still few school places for deaf children and inadequate numbers of trained teachers. The existing schools charge fees which many poor families can not pay. Stigma also means deaf children are excluded. Kasiru meaning “stupid” is a common term used to describe deaf children and many families think their deaf children are not capable of learning. Research shows that disabled children in Uganda are often alone at home, and are frequently undervalued by those around them. This makes them particularly vulnerable to physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
Bushenyi Inclusive Education Programme
Many teachers working in units for deaf children in Uganda don't have adequate training and are demotivated by negative attitudes about deaf children in the community. Our project in Bushenyi has transformed this attitude. Working in close collaboration with local government, teachers have been trained and nine new deaf units have been established in primary schools enabling many deaf children to attend school for the very first time.
Parents of deaf children have come together to form Silent Voices, a Parents Association. Their enthusiasm and dedication convinced the local government to set up a deaf unit in Nyabwina secondary school, so that deaf children in the district now have a chance to continue their education beyond primary school just like the other children. Seeing that deaf children can be high academic achievers has raised the expectations of parents, teachers and peers and improved their attitudes towards deaf students.
Reproductive Health Education for Deaf Youth in Masaka
In August 2009, Deaf Child Worldwide established a new partnership with Ka Tutandike Uganda to implement a reproductive health education project in Masaka district, South West Uganda.
Research recently conducted in Uganda revealed a severe lack of understanding of deaf youth on issues around sex and reproductive health, evidence of abuse and improper relations, a lack of teaching ability and confidence in the subject by teachers, a lack of appropriate teaching aids and appropriate sign language to facilitate discussion and a cultural stigma in the community on reproductive health issues and towards disabled people in general. This puts deaf youth in an incredibly vulnerable position and puts them at high risk of abuse, as well as early pregnancy, HIV and AIDS and poor general health.
The central aim of the project is to increase understanding of reproductive health issues, effect behaviour change and improve the reproductive health of 500 young deaf people aged 8-24 years in three primary schools in Masaka district, over a period of three years. Ka Tutandike are working to equip teachers and health workers with appropriate communication skills. They have been liaising with the Ministry of Disability and Social Affairs to demand that mainstream information on reproductive health in the curriculum is adapted to ensure effective communication with deaf youth.
Building Parents' Capacity to Deliver Community-based Support in Lira
Evidence shows that parents of deaf children make the most motivated and committed community workers. Deaf Child Worldwide has therefore embarked on a three-year partnership from October 2009 with the Community Based Rehabilitation Alliance (COMBRA) to train parents of deaf children as CBR workers in Lira District, Northern Uganda. This is an area which was badly affected by the civil war in previous years and as a result education and .health services are inadequate.
The community support that deaf children and their families receive as a result of this project is a lifeline, creating hope for a better future. Through the project, deaf children will receive support in developing daily living skills and will be referred to educational services whilst families will learn to accept their deaf child and develop sign language skills to enable them to communicate with their children. Through bringing parents of deaf children together to train as CBR workers, a strong network of peer support groups has evolved, enabling parents to share their experiences in a supportive environment.
