A Deaf Boy's Future

So earlier I posted pics from visiting Najib's deaf school (if you missed it, please be sure to go back and check it out). But what I didn't explain is that it's actually a public school with a deaf program; it's not a govt school for the deaf (with only deaf students). So after P2 (2nd grade), the deaf students have to leave the set-contained deaf classroom and are forced out into the mainstream with NO INTERPRETER!!! Right now there are 60 hearing students and 5 deaf students. The hearing teacher knows a few signs like "eat", "play", "book", "read" and "math" but that's it. The deaf students are expected to just follow along by copying the other hearing students and rely on pictures from the books. What happens is, the older the students get, they become bored and frustrated and eventually drop out of school because what is the point of sitting and watching a silent mouth move all day? 

Of course I was outraged and said I refuse to pay for that kind of education. So Uncle Eric (the Special Needs coordinator for New Hope Uganda) and I visited deaf schools in Kampala (the capital city 3 hrs away) to find a new school for Najib next year (the new school year starts in Feb). This is what we found:

Now that's more like it! :)

"It's our community responsibility to:

*Educate Deaf children in Sign Language

*Support access to justice for the Deaf

*Provide Deaf children with basic needs"

"Do not segregate! Learn Sign Language and we communicate!" 

There were signs like this all around the school!!! So refreshing to see in a 3rd world country (where there are no laws to protect the rights of disabled people and definitely no guarantees for their education). 

This is the school we picked for Najib (it is the best of what Uganda has to offer for deaf students):

He will be farther from home (his current school is less than 1 hr away) but either way they are boarding schools and the kids only go home on holidays (no matter how close or far away you leave) and they have monthly parent visits/family days. Look at what the school has to offer:

Small class sizes with ONLY deaf students.

Each class has a teacher AND an assistant (if the lead teacher is hearing, the assistant is deaf; if the teacher is deaf, the assistant is hearing--the perfect model!) All staff are fluent in sign language and they hire as many Deaf as possible to provide them job opportunities--the cooks, the gardeners, the gate keeper, etc.

Look at how brightly colored all the rooms are and the great visual resources on the walls!

(The dining hall)

Even the outside of the buildings are visual, brightly painted & educational.

They also have vocational skills training for the upper primary students: carpentry, tailoring, table setting and even cake decorating!!!

Here is another Deaf School we visited that was much poorer and didn't offer nearly as much (larger class sizes, no teaching assistants, no dining hall (the kids just eat sitting on the dirt), no painted walls or colorful resources, etc. But at least he children have complete access to their education through sign language!

And their smiles are just as bright! :)

This was me & Eric's mode of public transportation (they are called Boda Bodas):

I'm SOO grateful there are wonderful schools like this for Deaf children in Uganda. Of course the only problem is money. There is no free public edication for anyone (hearing or deaf)--everyone is required to pay school fees. That's why child sponsorship is so vital in Africa. If God hadn't brought us to Africa in 2011, Najib would still be sitting at home all day with NO LANGUAGE, only using home signs to gesture with his family. After only 4 yrs he is writing basic sentences in English, learning multiplication (math is his strongest subject), spelling vocabulary, etc. I can't wait to see where his education will take him in 4 more years.

This new school for Najib costs 3x as much, but it is sooo worth it! Here's the deal...my husband and I are willing to pay it no matter what, but we already sponsor so many kids, we'd like to give YOU the chance to help sponsor him. So we are looking for a team of supporters willing to donate $25 a year or $50 a year for he rest of his education. (So that's a long-term commitment) OR you can make a one-time donation for any amount you wish--large or small. Remember all donations are tax-deductible!! Here's what you do:

1. Goto www.newhopeuganda.org

2. Click on the blue "Donate" button 

3. Click on the American flag (for US dollars)

4. Fill in your personal info

5. Under "Program Area" select "Special Needs" from the drop down menu

6. Under "Comments" type in "For Najib's Deaf School account" **this is the most impt part**

They will email you a receipt. 

You can trust this wonderful Christain organization that we have been sponsoring kids thru since 2008. We know the founders & directors and all the staff are amazing dedicated people. 

If you do not feel comfortable donating on line you can always mail a check to my house made out to New Hope Uganda

1309 Dodge St.

Lake Geneva, WI 53147

IF YOU WANT TO BE PUT ON AN EMAIL LIST TO RECIEVE NEWSLETTER UPDATES ON NAJIB, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT: anissajh@gmail.com (They usually send 3-4 a year)

THANK YOU for prayerfully considering making a difference in a young deaf boy's life and giving him hope for a bright future!!!! Email me with any questions!

God Bless You!