Food for thought

 

It was much easier to stomach the local Ugandan food on arrival in Entebbe than the conditions I saw in Kampala's Namuwongo Slum a few hours later.  There, our local partners, Ariane and Protais, a deaf hearing couple from Burundi are sharing sign language with a deaf youth Frank, his family and neighbouring kids who live there. Franks growing confidence and his friends willingness to sign with him is wonderful to see. 

 

I'd like to pay tribute to Joseph Commiskey and the project ' Hands of hope' that he started an d has run for several years to help improve the lives of slum-dwellers. His team made us aware of Frank's family. Two slum-dwellers recently drowned in one of its open sewers during a flood after heavy rain which hid where the drainage ditches were.

 

 

 

 

 

New sign-language resources

for building faith and developing interactive teaching was enjoyed by pastors  from many areas of NW Uganda. Also included were church leaders from five different denominations across Arua Municipality. This Inclusive Communication Course was run jointly  by Madi & West Nile Special Needs Ministry and YWAM Arua Deaf Connections. It was a fantastic team effort. Most participants, including deaf and hearing instructors expressed much greater understanding of the topics covered. See above right

    This was the first time many deaf and hearing had been trained and resourced with biblical sign-language vocabulary material. Signs for the Lord’s Prayer and Apostles Creed were  included thanks to our deaf/hearing resource development team which included Rev. Allan Aviah (above left) Special needs coordinator for West Nile.

     Pastors attending our Inclusive Communication Course agreed that the resources  were valuable, because nothing similar was available beforehand. Many said that they can now make their services more inclusive  of deaf/mute people  in their communities.   

New Illustrated signs produced for Carpentry

Our partnership with West Nile Ecumenical Vocational Training Centre (WNEVTC) continues. One new partially deaf building student, Kennedy, has enrolled. We have just recruited Moses, a hearing  carpentry instructor with sign-language skills, whose mobility challenges have strengthened his determination to achieve and serve.

 Our sign-language resource development team has  developed what appears to be Uganda’s first illustrated carpentry signs. This has allowed one of last year’s deaf building graduates, Wilfred, to join WNEVTC’s carpentry course for the first time.

    

We also ran a half day sign workshop for all WNEVTC  new student intake, are setting up sign-language displays and alongside deaf instructor, Temia, we continue to provide communication support and optional sign-language teaching in other useful topics at their student fellowship once a week. We have provided sports equipment and some sports sign teaching too to help the deaf and hearing students relax and compete together. Thank you WNEVTC for your  continued willingness to train deaf and hearing students alongside one another.

Equipping our-selves with more Ugandan sign vocabulary.

Helen: In early December Adam and I spent three days learning from experienced Ugandan National Deaf Association (UNAD) sign-language instructor Moses. He would like us to train him how to co-develop illustrated sign-language resources this year too.

Mission update Feb 2011

Milestones in December and January

Taste and see that the Lord is good’ Ps 34:8  

• Key findings from Educational tour of deaf units in South Uganda
• Arua deaf use their acting/IT skills to produce a new USL resource.
• Former Deaf DTS student Sam gains employment as a carpenter.
• Deaf driver training course pilot
• Innovative 2011 deaf church programme co-planned
• Mixed hearing-deaf holiday club builds scriptural understanding; friendship & leads to deaf education partnership.
• Village Outreach: Paranga, Maracha

Key findings from Educational tour of deaf units in South Uganda

By two local teachers of the Deaf, Jonahansi (022), and Fetaa (027), (pictured), were:


“the generally poor performance of severely and profoundly deaf, with only hard of hearing fairing better….

… that in games and sports

the deaf compete equally with hearing under the same rules..

… that deaf are being trained in vocational skills including salon works, baking, knitting, tailoring garden work and carpentry.

… that a few hearing staff learn USL due to the lack of trained teachers of the deaf..

Recommendations made and challenges seen are shown right and are shaping our 2011-14 development plans, with a new focus on deaf literacy.

Arua deaf use their acting and IT skills to produce a a new USL resource.

The video-drama of the story of the birth of John the Baptist was originally performed by Arua deaf to sensitize members in Vurra sub-county to the needs and abilities of those with disabilties. Raphael,(centre), worked alongside me to learn the basics of video-editing/subtitling so we could later use the video in the joint hearing-deaf Christmas Service. It was well received.

Village Outreach: Paranga,Maracha:

Local deaf /deaf advocates, YWAM Arua and St Phillips members, and Eruba Deaf Unit Staff and students joined us on this eventful but memorable weekend sign workshops based on the theme “With my own eyes I have seen your salvation (lifesaver)” Luke 2:30


This was to fulfil a promise we made to Pastor Rev. Gard to organise a future sign workshop after our first visit in 2007, when his village deaf opened our eyes to the scale of need.

Over 25 local non-signing deaf participated along with a further 75 hearing buddies and fellow villagers. Both we and Paranga Parish performed powerful dramas that all could en-joy. The village was so appreciative at the end of the weekend.


One family are now applying to send their deaf child to Eruba deaf Unit now they are aware of it and can see the life-change that partnership can bring.

Development plan for 2011-2014

THE NEED:
Families/communities with deaf members need tools to relate, manage resources, innovate, earn, and serve others

OUR VISION:
To bring isolated deaf people to see themselves as God's workmanship, beloved children & co-workers (Ephesians 2:10, John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 6:1)

OUR MISSION:
To develop solid, long-term partnerships to provide:

• Sign-language, literacy, relationship building and life- skill resources


• Opportunities for vocational/leadership training & income generation.

OUR GOAL:
Twelve deaf leaders, formerly isolated, who:

• know God blesses them so they can be a blessing to others


• have a safe/healthy lifestyle, good people skills and future leaders they are mentoringare managing resources well, being innovative and prosperous


• have developed partnerships that have transformed the hearts and lives of others

November 2010 Mission Update

We appreciate, and are still inspired by our hearing UK pastor, Glenn Barker(far left) & our
senior deaf Ugandan pastor, David Bulime, left, who were both called back Home this month.
Glenn and David have pioneered much & blessed many of us.

Signs and Wonders in Labone, S. Sudan -with the mixed hearing / deaf DTS team
• Living in Labone’s community .
• Learning from/working with Labone’s deaf/youth
• At the Refinery: Learning about ourselves.

Next steps
• Outline Programme up until April 2011.
• Kidz News: Universities, Guitar lessons, & Rabbits.
• Sudan and Congo DTS teams completing their outreaches in Gulu, N. Uganda and Eastern Congo.

This Month’s Focus:
• Enjoying a break in Kenya
• DTS student/staff debrief, graduation ceremony
• Co-planning an educational tour for two local Teachers of the Deaf

Living in Labone’s community.

Our mixed hearing/deaf team of 11 students and 5 of their dependents was here for five weeks.
YWAM Arua has local contacts here.

Malaria forced me to travel to Laboni a week later than the rest of the team, by public transport. The journey took 36 hours instead of 12 in a 4WD.

One part of our route was the most dangerous in all Uganda, in the years of conflict. Many of the camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) are still there.

Our team began and ended each day with time together to get to know God more and ask for God’s specific guidance for the day’s needs/opportunities and challenges. No drainage and a wet season made me very grateful to the person who advised me to bring gum boots.

To make a phone-call I needed to walk ¾ mile to get even an intermittent signal (front page photo).Our shower room (right) is shown just after one of our deaf students gave it a make-over, adding a bamboo shelf and mat.

Learning from/working with Labone’s deaf.

The speed with which our deaf students (circled) found and persuaded local deaf and a hearing friend/relative to learn sign-language was breath-taking.

They were a magnet for local hearing kids and youth too, who loved the races to grab the object signed from a topic.

Learning from/working with Labone’s deaf.

The speed with which our deaf students (circled) found and persuaded local deaf and a hearing friend/relative to learn sign-language was breath-taking.

They were a magnet for local hearing kids and youth too, who loved the races to grab the object signed from a topic.

Signs and Wonders from the mixed hearing / deaf DTS team in Labone, S. Sudan

Learning from/working with Labone’s youth

This local youth, came to us to help treat his severe case of jiggers (tiny worms that breed under the toe and fingernails).

He later shared that although only about 1.4m tall, he was aged 20, a heavy drinker and rejected by his close family over ongoing disagreements. He was near starvation and his isolated, rundown hut(Page1) a haven for pests and disease).

A nurse on our team persuaded the local health centre to treat him. A couple from the team visited him most days to chat & bring food (not provided).

Local youth, Joseph, (left), told me how he has left home because of his parents’ dependence on alcohol. His younger deaf brother is unable to leave home and has to fend for himself. We taught them both sign-language. Here, Joe shows the sign-name our deaf students gave him.

On request, one of our mature Kenyan students, Boaz also spent two long mornings teaching nutrition and more productive ways of farming from the expertise he had in this area. We also shared biblical insights on enriching our relationships following requests for support from many youth, single, dating and married

Sept./Oct. 2010 Mission Update

Learning lessons. Looking forward

• Students continue to team-build and visit local people in need,right up to beginning of their 3 month field placement,
• Mixed hearing/deaf teams on YWAM ARUA’s Discipleship Training School have just left for needy areas of S. Sudan, Uganda, & Congo.
• Ugandan Sign Language teaching videos completed for Bible book names and for several new signed worship songs.
• Several base supporters have helped replace most of the stolen funds for extending sister base YWAM Yei’sschool buildings. Do continue to pray the thief/thieves come(s) forward.
• Signs and Wonders. At the Refinery
• Our youngest son Laurence returns

These Months’ Focus:
• Co-leading a DTS team to Laboni, S. Sudan (A)
• Jerome recovering from a fresh bout of Malaria
• Recommencing home-schooling (H & A)
• Finalising Outline Programme up until April 2011.

Students continued to team-build right up to beginning of their 3-month field placement

.. through team challenges such as an making an un-crushable paper structure using just 10 A4 sheets and paperclips.

They also continued to visit local people in need, such as TB patients to talk, pray with and bring food parcels as all patients are expected to provide their own food.

Prayer had a real sharpness and focus as at least one patient would die between one visit and the next.

Ugandan Sign Language teaching videos for Bible book names and several new worship songs completed with Pastor Fred. from Kampala Deaf Bible school.

Pastor Fred and I had a fun and productive week together learning from each other and compiling some badly needed resources.

We plan to meet again to continue this work and document more specialist biblical sign vocabulary such as characters and concepts.

Pastor Fred really encouraged our deaf students too.

More hearing relatives met and encouraged–More Buddy sign workshops planned

I was glad to meet more hearing relatives, even if only distantly related, to hear their accounts of their family’s history and to help them to see themselves as vital partners with the deaf we support too.

One mother visited us, and then one of our deaf students, Phillam, took me to meet his family (pictured) near the Congo border.

Heavy rain delayed our return, by motorbike, till after dark after which the 9 mile journey was like motocross in many parts! One puddle we spluttered though was up to our knees! Phillam’s extended family and neighbours including numerous non-signing deaf would like us to bring a team for some buddy workshops. We are planning others in Maracha and Okollo shortly.

August 2010 Mission Update

In full swing again!
• Settling back into Arua life ourselves.
• Staffing YWAM ARUA’s Discipleship Training School; 4 of 16 students are local deaf. (photos)

• Our base team experienced a major break-in and learnt some painful lessons from it.
• Job offer for Agnes, a skilled deaf lady.

• Review/draft preview of our programmes.
• Signs and Wonders
• Jerome returns with his friend, Mitch.

This Month’s Focus:
• Helping our base implement the lessons learnt from the major break-in. Please pray the money stolen (for extending sister base YWAM Yei’sschool buildings) & thief/thieves is/are found.
• Co-documenting and developing more biblical vocabulary in Ugandan Sign Language with Pastor Fred from Kampala Deaf Bible school
- Learning from each other’s deaf training programmes to further improve them.
• Clarifying our programme up until April 2011 when we return for the children’s next exams .

We have been thrust back in to base and Arua life ourselves.

Staffing our base’s Discipleship Training School (DTS) has been intensive but good. Four of the 16 students are local deaf. Concerns amongst both hearing and deaf about language barriers have been largely overcome. The atmosphere is now really inclusive.

All the student outreach teams are mixed deaf/hearing and thriving. They have been invited to the local hospital, prison, Eruba primary school and a Muslim secondary school.

Most of the DTS staff are shown above.

Thankfully Laurence’s arm has healed. H.