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We will be supporting six new projects from January 2009 in Kenya, Sri Lanka and Colombia.

The idea for the project arose from an annual forum for deaf children in Laikipia district, Kenya, organised by Kenya Association for Empowerment of Disabled People (KADEP). It is a community project which centres on including deaf children in mainstream primary schools. One school in each of the three divisions of Laikipia will act as pilot schools where deaf children will be supported to attend mainstream classes. KADEP will form groups of teachers, hearing and deaf children at the schools to support the integration of the deaf pupils.

This project is all about the inclusion and acceptance of deaf children in their families and communities. The project aims to teach sign language to deaf children, their peers, families and members of their communities. The project will also raise awareness of the rights of deaf children, and support advocacy activities among children and parents to bring about greater social inclusion. Deaf adults will play a prominent role in the project as role models and trainers.

A happy home life is essential for deaf children to thrive at school and in other areas of their life. This project will improve communication between the children and their families at the Filadelfia School for the Deaf in Bogota, Colombia. Activites include providing information to parents, teaching sign language, setting up a parent support group and home visits.

This project centres around a series of workshops for parents on deaf children's rights. It will be run by the National Council for the Deaf in Sri Lanka. Parents will be empowered to take action once they are aware of their rights and responsibilities. Enthusiastic parents will be trained to repeat the workshops with other groups of parents in their areas.

Some of the children who will be involved in this project lost their hearing when they were treated for malaria/meningitis. This group need rehabilitation following fitting of hearing aids. Zanzibar Outreach Program will set up a school for deaf children with and without hearing aids. All children will learn to communicate in sign language. The children with hearing aids who are able to develop speech will receive additional support.

This is a community based project run by the social agency of the Catholic Diocese of Meru, Kenya. It is a CBR project. Red Cross Volunteers will be trained in sign language and advocacy skills to act as interpreters and advocates of young deaf people. The project will work with pre-school deaf children in educational playgroups and provide seminars to older children on cross-cutting issues.