School at last for the deaf children

I am so happy to be able to say that at last the deaf children are back at school, with the exception of Joel whose school is in a different area, with different rules.  For Joel, school begins again in June.  The reason for the difference is that the District Commissioner for the area of the primary school in Mbale has said that children with special needs have to be prioritized and allowed back to school. 

We left Nimule on 5^th March with five children, and picked up two more (who had been staying in Uganda) on the way.  The whole contingent is now Alau (who is the only one at secondary level), Alice, Lillian, Assumpta, Aluma, Paul and our new boy, Vibrant.  All the children were so happy to be going back to school.  Life in Nimule without speech and hearing is extremely difficult, so they have been very isolated to say the least.

The financial cost was heavier than previously as all those coming from South Sudan (seven of us including me and a helper) had to be tested for Covid at the border at a cost of $50 each, making the total cost of entering Uganda $100 each because of the $50 visa charge.  Fortunately we all tested negative.  The costs of transport have also risen because of the necessity for social distancing.  Four children needed uniform, Vibrant because he is new, and Aluma, Assumpta, Lillian and Paul because they had grown out of their clothes during their year off school.  All the primary school children needed new school shoes for the same reason.  Other costs (school fees, toiletries etc) remained more or less the same.  The costs should be far lower for the next two terms as (unless there is another emergency) the children will remain in school for the rest of the school year, with no more need of border charges or transport.  Previously I have asked for £625 a year from sponsors.  It would be very helpful if this could be raised to £650.

Vibrant, taken shortly before we
travelled.

Vibrant is in need of a sponsor.  Vibrant looks very small compared to the other children and I worried about how he would cope.  He is nine years old and had only just started school in his home town of Torit just before the Covid crisis started, so he has had almost no school experience.  However he turned out to be super-confident and to already have some home-made signs to communicate with the others.  He was even rather bossy towards them.  He is a very cheerful character and clearly very intelligent.  I expect him to do really well at school.

I should mention that schools in Uganda and South Sudan do not have a strict age bracket for each class, unlike the UK.  It is normal for children to begin school at various ages, depending on family circumstances.  This has been especially the case for these deaf children, as there is no availability of special schools in South Sudan, and ordinary schools do not have the necessary training to teach them.  It is also common for older children who do really well to be promoted upwards more quickly than annually, so that they can catch up with their peers.  This is possible at our children’s primary school because of high staffing ratios in the Hearing Impairment Unit and has been the case with most of the children I have brought there. 

Alau

Up until now Alau has not had a sponsor.  Alau’s secondary school requires a full year for coverage of the secondary curriculum.  He is now in Senior 3, the year before the equivalent of GCSEs.  Then, he will have the option to continue for A’levels or move to a full time vocational training course in the same school, which will set him up for the world of skilled work and make his future far brighter than otherwise.  He is a sensible and very hard-working young man of 21, whose future relies on being able to work.  Currently, he spends his holiday times doing heavy shifting of luggage in a transport hub to help support his family, where he is subject to a lot of abuse because of his deafness.  Having skills and qualifications will give him far more respect in the local community.

If you are interested in sponsoring either Vibrant or Alau, please let me know.  My email address is rebeccamallinson1@hotmail.co.uk.