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Program Education for Deaf in Lodwar
(Kenya)
DIOCESE OF LODWAR, P.O.BOX 101, LODWAR,
KENYA
Proposal: Turkana Unit for Deaf
in an existing primary school in Lodwar
A. Basic project data.
1 . Turkana unit for Deaf in Lodwar (Kenya)
2. Location of the Project: In the north of Kenya, District Turkana,
Lodwar.
3. Agency requesting funding: the Authority:
The Bishop of the Diocese of
Lodwar Rev. P Harrington, SMA
Private Bag, Lodwar, Kenya, tel:
0393-21055, fax: 0393-21417
4. The executive authority is the Principal of the Centre.
5. Type of community: both urban and rural.
6. Scope: Community consisting of whole Diocese of Lodwar -- District of
Turkana
7. Target group - Deaf and hearing impaired children
8. Education for children of 4-16 years
9. Duration of the project: ongoing. Starting: Second term 2002
10. Contact person: Ben Janssen, P.O. Box 10 1, Lodwar, Tel 0393-21474
11. Kenya Commercial Bank, Lodwar, Acc. Nr 27.66.20.761
B. Short summary of the project
General description of the area: Background of
Turkana
Turkana is the largest district in Kenya,
occupies the area of north western Kenya to the west of Lake Turkana. The
district covers a total area of 77,000 km. It shares to the north and west
international boundaries with Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda. The 1999
national census population of Turkana district is 447,000 people. 70% of
those are pastoralist (nomads).
What kind of region
Much of the heartland of Turkana is desert
or semi desert terrain with scant rainfall. "Through the punishing
heat and the sandy and rocky terrain it is one of the harshest regions of
Africa". Nigell Pavit, Book: "Turkand'. The altitude of Turkana
District is between 600 and 900 meters above the sea level. It has an
annual rainfall average of about 300-400 mm falling to less than 150mm in
the and central regions. It is a very poor part of the country.
Lodwar is the capital of the Turkana District and it has about 30.000
inhabitants. The centre for Deaf will be situated in Lodwar. At the
outskirts of the town in the village of Nakwamekwi. The Primary school is
Loyo Primary School.
What kind of people are living in Turkana?
The region is sparsely populated by the
Turkana. They have about 440.000 inhabitants. They are one of the last
nomadic peoples of Africa. The women build houses of palm leaves and make
trays , baskets and utensils from palm. leaves. They sell their products
mainly in Lodwar town. Their land is too remote and too dry to be
attractive to outsiders Life is very hard and the people have to survive,
with their livestock of sheep, goats and camels.
Agriculture and industry
On both sides of the river Turkwell we see
attempts at growing maize and millet etc. However the harvest is very poor
because the soil is salty and there is no fertiliser. There is one
"tarmac" road from the south (Kitale) to the north (the border
of Sudan), especially for transporting food to the Sudan. There is no big
industry. There are some carpenters and other craftsmen who works in small
workshops but many of these come from "down country" Kenya - not
from Turkana itself. The district gets little support from the central
government. The ethnic group is the Turkana. They are mostly (above 70 %)
still traditional nomadic shepherds. Because of the drought and general
poverty there is quite a lot of migration to the towns, especially to
Lodwar.
Schools
There are about 147 primary and 6 secondary
schools in the Diocese of Lodwar. There is one polytechnic in Lodwar,
mainly for boys. In Kakuma town in North of Turkana there is a Centre for
vocational training for girls "Turkana Homecraft Centre".
Educational level and facilities:
There are primary and secondary government
schools. Education is very expensive for the Turkana children. There are
day schools mainly in town (Lodwar, Kakuma.) and boarding schools mainly
in the bush.
They use the English system of education and the children need:
- uniforms
- books and exercise books and other materials
- school fees The number of pupils in a class in town
schools is very high; sometimes 40 to 60 children in one group. In the
schools outside the towns there are very small classes of children
sometimes less than 20.
Most of the children who attend schools are sponsored.
The parents are not able to pay school fees. A lot of parents can't afford
the fees, so there are many children who don't go to school. Primary
school is in theory free education but in practice various different
levies means that amount have to be paid.
Schools for handicapped pupils.
In Katilu there is a blind integrated school
founded and sponsored by the Diocese of Lodwar.Otherwise there are no
schools in Turkana of special education for handicapped children.
So there are no schools for deaf children in Turkana.
Some hearing impaired children are going to a school for deaf in Webuye,
about 400 km South of Lodwar. But the insecurity is very high; the road is
very bad, the costs for transport are high, and it is far outside their
home district area (environment), etc. So there is a lack of education for
deaf people in Turkana. Therefore the Diocese is willing to begin
education and help to hearing impaired and deaf children by starting a unit
for deaf at a Primary Mission school.
Some causes of deafness in Turkana.
In this area there are many cases of malaria and
the treatment for the most severe cases is quinine. A complication of
treatment with quinine is temporary deafness and sometimes (total)
deafness. Other causes of deafness are meningitis and also deafness can
occur as a complication of whooping cough and measles. The parents because
of shame often hide deaf children.
Brief description of help to deaf
The Project.
The request of the Bishop of the Diocese of
Lodwar is to realise education for deaf children. First stage: Our purpose
is to develop an education program for hearing impaired and deaf children
in co-operation with a sponsored school of the Diocese. The students will
follow/ attend lessons in a separate unit at a primary school during
normal school time.
At the primary school the pupils will get the basic
skills, knowledge and attitudes which can applied in day- to- day living
to improve the quality of life of an individual and the society in which
she/he lives.
In the syllabi and regulations of Special education we find the Specific
Objectives, subjects, topics, hours, etc.
The subjects will be taught in the following levels:
a) Pre-primary: nursery class (3/4) and infant class (5/6)
b) Primary level: lower primary and upper primary
"The aim of the Development and Survival Skills as
a subject is to equip deaf learners with skills that will enable them to
live a whole life not withstanding the hearing loss."
After lessons in the morning they will get extra guiding
and help in the afternoon in their "Home", belonging to the
church and about 1 km away.
Subjects to be taught: - sign language
- speak readiness (preparing themselves to be able/ready to speak)
- articulation readiness (preparing themselves to articulate themselves)
- auditory training
After supper they will go home or to a host family (when possible and
needed)
So the first stage is education to children from
Lodwar and nearby for deaf) on the same school compound. Teaching will be
given separately and breaks will be at the same time for all the children.
All children need a test in an assessment centre before admittance. Later
on the second stage is education for children with impaired hearing
and deaf children of the whole Diocese with facilities in the "Home'
belonging to the church. This will make it possible to provide day and
night care for the children in separate classes.
Aim of the Project:
- To locate hearing impaired and deaf children
- To enhance/support/encourage the hearing
impaired/deaf child to operate as independently as possible. This will
be done through specially adapted education, coaching, guidance and
counselling.
- Education, supervision and treatment of prelingually
deaf children. "prelingual" meaning that the deafness has
arisen before the age at which speech is normally fairly well
developed).
- Guidance of parents and relatives
regarding/concerning the hearing impaired/deaf child.
- Giving advice concerning deafness to people involved.
Admittance:
Hairing impaired and deaf children of 4 up to 15
years of all denominations. Entrance: interview and "suitability
test". Careful diagnosis is of great importance for establishing the
degree of deafness and the child's development capacity as early as
possible. The child's hearing will be examined and if possible he or she
will be measured for the correct hearing aid.
Religion:
The education is based on Christian
principles/faith. Other religions and cultures will be treated/dealt with
having respect for their religious beliefs.
The project for deaf is an initiative of the Diocese and
is small-scale in nature. |
