National Deaf Camp Preparations in Arua

Following a brief update meeting with the Nationanal Camp Committee in Kampala, I was asked to get to ARUA as soon as possible to help their preparations. We visited the venue Monday morning to assess the facilities and ho they would need adapting for the camp.

Since then its daily meetings to gather all the resources needed to host and encourage up to 150 youth.  We had a grea\t turnout on Monday afternoon to set out the week ahead with local youth and the committee have been great.

Now the food and Av equipment and mattresses are sourced more time is being spent to finalise songs and workshops etc
 

Deaf Connections Article ''Removing Social Barriers' published..

.. in YWAM England's magazine this month.

Just click on the link, http://www.issuu.com/ywamengland/docs/advance_118_issuu

Then select issue 118 and turn to P10 & 11.

Your partnership has enabled these developments to continue.

Thanks.

Adam & Helen

Katie, an American YWAM ‘Year for God ‘ intern joined us in March for a four month placement.

Photo: Katie, an American YWAM ‘Year for GoPhoto: Katie, an American YWAM ‘Year for God ‘ intern joined us in March for a four month placement.

She has quickly got involved in many aspects of our work.

Katie is bringing  talent in the areas worship-leading, song, dance. She has a passion to address the emotional and spiritual as well as the practical needs of families with members with sensory or mobility challenges.

Photo: Katie, an American YWAM ‘Year for God ‘ intern joined us in March for a four month placement.

She has quickly got involved in many aspects of our work.

is bringing  talent in the areas worship-leadi

Workshop for staff/ families of deaf students well received ..

.. at Arua Primary. It attracted well over 100 participants for each of the four Saturday mornings it ran. Its success was a fantastic team effort resulting from a strong set of agreed expectations, team production of many new illustrated signs, and training of trainers in new sign vocabulary and teaching skills. 

Our team had over 20 deaf sign language instructors/assistant instructors. Many hearing staff, classmates,  relatives and deaf students themselves testified to more effective teaching/social relationships.

 A police officer and girl guide leader (circled) came because they support isolated deaf We put up a sign-language display in the school compound which students studied! 

Home Sign Workshop for local families with deaf members

        On the invitation of local pastors John Toburo (circled) and his wife Alice, we co-led our first home sign workshop in their home. Their deaf nephew Samuel, and deaf neighbour, Vilma (both boxed), helped us teach their 15 relatives who all enthusiastically squashed into the small room. John and Alice have temporarily adopted Wilma because her family support network is almost non-existent.

 YWAM Deaf Connections support is helping this arrangement to continue. David, one of John’s sons has produced a wall-display of everyday signs to help everyone practice, including our UK friends Paul & Christine, inset!

       Alongside this support, we have worked  with John & Alice and the local deaf association, to set some personal, social and vocational development goals for Wilma.

 Our long term goal is that Wilma’s close relatives are willing and able to see her potential and will eventually welcome her back fully. Samuel, partially deaf/sighted/lame,  has also benefitted from YWAM DC support to attend local school Eruba Primary deaf unit. His cousins have marvelled at how his self-esteem, confidence, self-motivation is growing. 

Community Sports Discipleship Tournament for Deaf & Hearing United

YWAM Arua mixed deaf-hearing Go-Camp

 We were really happy to welcome Kampala volunteer Hellen, circled, as sign translator and our partially-deaf friend Walter, above centre, from England who brought lots of passion; puppets from his church and laughter! 

Our local training was very well planned by Helen. The outreach preparation included bible study & practical exercises to know God more and make Him known better. We also learnt more about living with a physical disability Although we had five deaf (inset) at first, lack of parental consent/ support meant only one completed the outreach.


On the YWAM Arua deaf-hearing Go-Camp 
we investigated the production costs of home-brewing…

…with the help of one brewer and agreed it is unprofitable. Then our team went to Labone market-place where the local alcohol is traded. There we performed a drama about ploughing to encourage onlookers not to give control of their lives to alcohol any more. We then practically showed the financial losses home brewing brings. Then, with the willing help of local brewer women we showed how a fresh lemon cordial can be easily made in minutes rather than days, is profitable and has far greater health benefits to children,. We closed with a song that was later broadcast on local radio.

YWAM Arua Kings kids 2012

“I have fought the good fight, 
 I have finished the race, 
 I have kept the faith”
2 Tim 4:7

Welcome, worship, word, work it out was the order of each day. To develop personal survival skills swimming skills were taught. Only  5 of the 60 children could swim before. Five more learned that day.

     We celebrated at the end of the week by inviting parents for a  celebration and opportunity to see the activities and work of the kids. 

Adventure Day before the trek of discovery on the base and to personal survival swimming 

Sign language workshops for those wanting to support their deaf neighbours

Ad: At the end of December we enjoyed two day visits at the ‘Arua Youth Camp’. The deaf have not previously been involved with this event and we thought they were missing out so offered to take them for a couple of taster day visits. We took turns to offer communication support. Another local signer, Jonathan, circled , helped too.






Several hearing youth asked for a sign workshop so Lydia, inset, and Jonathan, circled, gladly obliged. The deaf, Lydia, Godfrey and Molly interacted well throughout the teaching. We hope more of the deaf have the motivation to join a similar programme next year. We want to thank the camp organisers for being very inclusive and we hope more of the hearing participants will have be as inclusive as their leaders have. 

Eruba Primary/All Saints Infants children try each others everyday food/toys/messages and stories.

Adam: During my brief visit to England in November I re-visited all Saints Infants School in our home town to bring them some examples of home-made African toys and musical instruments. I also showed photos of the deaf and hearing children at Eruba primary school tasting English-style food and happily looking at the story books, pictures, stationary and messages Helen had brought from All Saints children in September. All Saints Infant school have asked me to take a copy of their latest class story book and show the actions they make as they read it..

Encouraging Arua’s potential lead deaf and hearing interdependency advocates to plan jointly …

… began in December. We invited them  to share their visions, plans and expectations of each other. We shared our own too and this is clarifying more sharply where there is common vision, and therefore what teamwork is really possible. Progress is not easy for a number of reasons. However, we will persevere. We believe these meetings will provide a broader perspective for us all on current opportunities, issues, and solutions. Adam