Today in my office I met a young Deaf girl in my office. She had come for a peer training session.
She had with her her 5 year old little-beautiful-girl. I managed to talk with her and I relly felt for her. She was in love with a Hearie who impregnated her and left her. Now she feds for herself. She cant find a job since her academic grades are low. Her mother helps her out with basic needs. She goes on to tell me that her daughter wont go to school untill she finds a job or her ex agrees to support her.
She is one of too many young girls who are single parents and no jobs. They are all poor and survive on little income either through salooning or help from relatives.
In Kibera Slums we have a majority of the Deaf in Kenya. They are really poor and marginalized with little information and knowledge.
When I try to compare the lives of Deaf in America and Kenya, I pity ourselves. Although we have primary schools for the Deaf, most of the teachers are Hearies with little Sign Language knowledge. This is the same in secondary schools wich are only three in number in the whole country. Tertiary education is limited to -Masonry.Carpentry,Welding and Tailoring. Only of late have we seen Deaf being taught IT and Catering.
Would you believe that in kenya we have less than five Deaf with a degree!!!!!!!!
You can just imagine after all this academic barriers how the lives of the Deaf are.
Although Deaf meet in church and organizations to catch up on each other,we do not have pleasurable stuff like Deaf Cruise,. Deaf Bashments etc.
We tried to have a Deaf Happy Hour last year but it failed due to most of the Deaf wouldnt afford about a dollar for refreshments and stuff.
American Deaf, thank God and keep it real, you are a great pride for majority of Deaf in Developing countries.
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