CHANGEMAKER LAB MODULE 3. INCLUSION OF DEAF GIRLS

“I want all stakeholders to support me in the advocacy on the inclusion of deaf girls in vocational and women empowerment centers”

Watching my little sister Agnes who was deaf being stigmatized and labelled while growing up was a very painful experience. Countless times I heard people call her “Mumu” and even through stones, sticks and objects at her to get her attention which really saddened me. On some occasions I had to defend my sister by physically fighting with those who tried stigmatizing her.

In 2007 my sister Agnes who was deaf when on to be with the Lord. It was a very sad period not only for us but for the many girls and boys with hearing impairment she assisted. The only way forward to continue my sister’s legacy was to acquire a skill in sign language. I enrolled into a special need teacher training college where I was able to learn sign language. It wasn’t an easy journey considering my children where very young, but I was passionate about the inclusion of deaf persons. I volunteered with the coordinating Unit for the association of persons with disabilities after I graduated. This gave me so much exposure to deaf persons.

I started attending their monthly meetings during which I carried out a need assessment and findings showed most of them had dropped out of school due to inadequate availability of sign language interpreters so effective communication limited them. The findings also showed about 95% of the girls wanted to acquire livelihood one livelihood skill or the other.

On one occasion I went to our women empowerment center to enroll one of the deaf girls by name Martha, but the director categorically told me they couldn’t accommodate her and that they where not ready to incur cost for a sign language interpreter. Although I volunteered to interpret just so this girl and other deaf girls could have access, my plea fell on deaf ears. That is one of the most painful experiences of total exclusion I have ever had.

I decided I was going to do something about this and became an advocate for the inclusion of deaf persons. In 2016 I registered an organization working for the improvement of the livelihood of persons with hearing impairment. In 2019 I started an empowerment workshop where I have trained 30 deaf girls on varied vocational skills in sign language. We also teach them digital skills so they can reach a greater number of consumers through online sales while maintaining safety from any form of harassment.

We have been carrying out awareness raising and sensitization in the communities, schools, hospitals, councils and the radio on the importance of including deaf persons especially through the availability of sign language interpreters but it has been a great challenge changing mindsets.

I want the government and councils to support me in expanding the workshop and come up with better policies that ensures total inclusion of these girls in vocational and empowerment centers and the availability of sign language interpreters.

There are a host of humanitarian organisations that work for the economic empowerment of persons with disabilities but most of them exclude girls with hearing impairment and that is where my organizations come in and makes a difference. I want to economically empower these girls so they can be financially independent, thus improving on their standard of living.

I Plead with anyone reading this story to intentional advocate for the inclusion of deaf girls in vocational training workshops and training centers in their communities. I am also amongst the team of teachers working with the Cameroon Baptist convention to train sign language interpreters in communities.

Together we can prevent the pain of stigmatization and labeling like what my sister Agnes faced and exclusion like the painful experience Martha had. Together we can help put an end to the exclusion of deaf girls in vocational and women empowerment centers.

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