Orphans, Education, Disability and Deaf Empowerment:

1
Orphans, Education, Disability and Deaf
Empowerment

• Implications for Inclusive Development

2
Presenters

• Gallaudet University Staff
• KP PerkinsCoordinator, Community Service
  Programs
• Res BatamulaSenior Systems Analyst, Academic
  Technology
• Bunmi AinaDirector, Office for International
  Programs and Services

3
A Few AIDS Statistics

• Worlds AIDS Day
• According to the United Nations, more than 25
  million Africans are living with HIV/AIDS. Of
  that group, more than 57 are women.
• CAMEROON Population 16, 380, 005
• Adult (15-49) HIV Prevalence Rate 6.9 (range
  4.8-9.8)2
• GHANA Population 21, 029, 853
• Adult (15-49) HIV Prevalence Rate 3.1 (range
  1.9-11.9)
• NIGERIA Population 128, 771, 988
• Adult (15-49) HIV Prevalence Rate 5.4 (range
  3.6-8.0)
• TANZANIA Population 36, 766, 356
• Adult (15-49) HIV Prevalence Rate 8.8 (range
  6.4-11.9)
• Tanzania has approximately 1 million3 AIDS
  orphans

4
Orphans Opportunities

• Orphans
• Global Vessels, Inc., est. 1998, is a non-profit,
  faith-based organization based in Columbia, MD.
• It Takes A Village...
• Havilah Childrens Village A development complex
  for AIDS orphans in Arusha, TZ
• 10 family style homes (10-12 children house
  parents)
• Training facilities (skills for employment)
• Meeting hall/worship center
• Collaborative Approach
• Arusha University donated land, elementary
  school on the grounds, church and university
• Good Hope Orphanage
• KPs Role with Global Vessels, Inc.
• Volunteer
• Raising the issue of accessibility, utility, and
  awareness

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Orphans Opportunities (cont.)

• Opportunities
• Professional Duties
• Community Service/Service Learning
• Grants
• Service-Learning Year Abroad Program
• Loosely based on PC Study Abroad programs
• Difference-focuses on deaf people (deaf students,
  deaf people in developing nations)

6
Meetings Interviews

• Officers at CHAVITA Tanzanian National
  Association of the Deaf
• Plight of deaf people is severe lack of
  education, interpreters, job training, employment
  discrimination, stigma, high level of
  frustration.
• Situation nearly identical to Cameroon (2001)
• Information Center on Disability (ICD)trustee
  organization (not member-based)they focus on
  research analysis to document the plight of PWD
  in TZ
• Representatives I met were well off but still
  faced intense discrimination, stigmatization and
  lack of opportunity.
• Lack of government support, protections
• Special Education Maria Batamula, Special
  Education Teacher Mawesi Mwiga, Coordinator of
  Special Needs Education in the Ministry of
  Education Culture
• Special education has made great strides though
  that for deaf children is the least successful
• Several mainstream programs at the primary
  level.
• No secondary schools for deaf students
• No interpreters or interpreter training programs
  (exception CHAVITA)

7
Meetings Interviews

• FEMINA HIPa multimedia health project that
  produces two magazines
• FEMINA-bi-lingual (English-Kiswahili)
• Disability Issue (Aug-Oct 2005)
• Si Mchezo (Kiswahili) Targets rural,
  semi-literate population
• Strategies (discussion groups, role plays, use of
  photography, etc.) have interesting implications
  for reaching deaf people
• website http//www.chezasalama.com/
• FEMINA weekly TV program
• HIP (Health Information Project)nation-wide site
  visits, HIP clubs, National Youth Conference
  (annual)

8
Implications for Inclusive Development

• Poverty HIV/AIDS cannot effectively addressed
  without bringing deaf and disabled people to the
  forefront of planning, outreach and development
  programs
• The first step towards inclusion is mental a
  shift in thinking (from after-thought to
  forethought) will impact planning, development,
  and existing strategies that deal with global
  disparities. (Major implications for MDG)
• Statistically significant population 10
• This equals 647 million people world-wide
• Exchange of information, exposure and education
  is KEY to changing attitudes and reducing stigma.
  (The involvement of PWD is extremely valuable in
  this process).
• Stigma, cultural taboos, misperceptions can be as
  disabling as any physical or mental condition.

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Implications for Inclusive Development (cont.)

• Collaborative strategies and projects hold great
  potential for far-reaching impact
• There is a burgeoning cadre of deaf and disabled
  activists in the developing world.
• Many of the projects identified in this
  presentation can be replicated (and most at
  minimal cost)
• Governments, corporations, relief agencies, etc.
  should to become familiar with disability issues
  and resources through DPOs, educational
  institutions like Gallaudet and NTID (National
  Technical Institute for the Deaf), statistics and
  research gathered by the WB, UN, and others.
• As Bank staff become more educated on these
  issues, it will be transmitted to
  othersgovernment officials, civil society, other
  constituents, etc.