Jinja DEAF | Who We Help

who we help

Read stories of just some of the children who have benefitted from Jinja DEAF sponsorship or sign language support.

When our work first began, we could only sponsor a few individual children in their education based on our limited funds. We will continue to sponsor them until they complete their education. However, since 2017, we have focused on ensuring our limited funds reach even more children. We have subsequently broadened our support by providing more sponsored workers in each of our selected schools.

Irene

Irene (left on top photo) comes from a small island in Lake Victoria, where no-one knows sign language. Irene's father was a fisherman, and he left behind 10 children when he died in an accident. Irene's mother was unable to continue paying boarding fees after her father's death and without sponsorship, Irene would have had to drop out part-way through primary school.

With Jinja DEAF paying for her boarding and for the two sign language support workers at her unit, Irene successfully passed the Primary Leaving Exam, which only a minority of pupils pass. Irene won a regional debating competition on the subject "AIDS does not discriminate but people do".

She was then funded by Jinja DEAF to go to secondary school and completed her 0 Levels in 2017 at Wakiso School for the Deaf. This education will be particularly important for her since her mother also tragically passed away at the beginning of 2014. She is now training to be a hairdresser so she will be able to support herself and perhaps even employ others in the deaf community.

Henry

Henry was sponsored by Jinja DEAF towards his fees at The Uganda Society for the Deaf Vocational Training Centre at Kampala in learning carpentry. He graduated at the end of 2016. Jinja DEAF then funded the purchase of some tools and materials and Henry has successfully been working as a carpenter since.

Moses

Moses was a pupil at Walukuba West Primary School, where a sign language instructor and interpreter have been funded by Jinja DEAF for the past 10 years. He has six brothers and two sisters and loves art. In a 2013 photo album exchange with pupils at Elmgreen School in London, Moses shared that he wanted to become an artist. He also said he loved playing football with his friends. They made their football out of polythene bags, banana fibres and old clothes.

Dhikusooka

Dhikusooka (left) became deaf before acquiring speech. He was eighteen when he left primary school. This is not uncommon as parents are unable to send their children to school until they have the money to do so; and sometimes their children have to drop out temporarily or permanently if money runs out. Support at his primary school funded by Jinja DEAF helped Dhikusooka to pass his primary schools and start secondary school in 2013.

Charles

Charles is currently studying for his A-levels at Wakiso School for the Deaf, one of only 3 secondary schools for deaf young people in the whole of Uganda. His ambition is to train and qualify as a teacher, which would be a tremendous achievement. We think he would make a wonderful role-model for deaf pupils!