Trip to Uganda

Early last term, a 12 year old girl followed some of her neighbour’s children to school.  The children explained that she did not go to school because she is deaf and mute.  I asked the children to speak to the girl’s mother and ask her if she would like her daughter to come to Cece Primary School.   The next day she came.  I explained that Assumpta has a right to go to school even with a disability.  Assumpta’s mother Cesarina is a widow and was very surprised that we would accept her child.  Most local people see any severe disability as a burden and it is very rare for families to make any attempt to find ways to improve the child’s situation.

From left to right, me, Cesarina, Assumpta and Teacher Izaru

The term was a difficult one.  As Assumpta had not been to school before and was incommunicado, she would rush in and out of all the classrooms, disturbing the teaching and doing exactly as she pleased.  Gradually she adjusted and started to stay in her own class, Primary 1.  However it was difficult to know what to do with her, while teaching a class of thirty children, all of whom are very easily distracted and many of whom are also new to school discipline.  I tried asking teachers who were not in class to remain as her assistant, but this did not work, as culturally it is unacceptable for an adult to go down to a child’s level.  The only method of teaching that South Sudanese teachers know is ‘talk and chalk’ in front of large classes with no interaction with the children.   I was rushed off my feet and had no time to train the teachers in how to assist an individual pupil.  The result was that Assumpta was neglected and I felt very guilty about it.  

By Assumpta’s behavior I suspected that she might not be deaf, but have a communication disorder such as autism, but there are no facilities in Nimule for any sort of assessment of special needs.  Then, by a happy chance, I was invited by Global Giving to go to Kampala for some training in fundraising on their website.  At the workshop I met a lady who works in a special needs organization in Gulu, a town in Uganda, easily accessible from Nimule.  I swooped on her and told her about Assumpta.  She said that she couldn’t help herself, but knew somebody in Gulu who could.  We exchanged contact details.  

Very shortly afterwards I had an email putting me in contact with Lois, a British speech and language therapist in Gulu.  Lois told me that there would be a visiting teacher of the deaf coming to visit her centre from 4^th September.  She invited us to come for an assessment of both hearing and speech that week.

The appointment was yesterday, so I, a fellow teacher, Assumpta and Assumpta’s mother, travelled to Gulu on Monday so we could be on time.  It was a very expensive journey.  Apart from myself, none of us had travel documents or ID.  This meant that we needed a letter from the local Head Chief explaining that we needed to travel to Uganda for medical reasons.  At the border, emergency travel documents were issued, at a cost of 1,500 South Sudanese Pounds (the equivalent of around $10).  I know this seems a small amount in Western terms, but in South Sudan that is the combined monthly wage of three government –paid teachers.  Then we had to get visas for Uganda for all four of us, costing $200.  The hotel costs and transport were far cheaper, around $8 altogether.

This is money which would otherwise have gone towards the building work of the new classroom block.  However, as you will realize, it is extremely important not just to have buildings, but to be able to help our children educationally to the best of our ability.

The appointment went very well.  Assumpta was assessed using various toys by the teacher for the deaf while we spoke with the speech and language therapist.  The result of the two hour assessment was that she is profoundly deaf and does not have a communication disorder.  She is very bright but has lacked any stimulation.  She uses a home-developed sign language and managed to communicate very well with the teacher for the deaf.   

The two professionals recommended that she stay at Cece Primary School.  They think she is too old to learn lip-reading effectively.  Instead we are going to learn Ugandan Sign Language, which will give Assumpta a much wider means of communication than at the moment.  The materials are going to be sent to me by email.  Then I am to organize teacher training in USL for both teachers and Assumpta’s mother.  I was told that it is most important that we all use the same signs all the time and that we encourage Assumpta to sign as well, instead of just reacting (as is what happens at the moment).  There is a unit for deaf children in Gulu but they thought it would be better if she could stay in her home environment rather than moving to a boarding school far from home.  The unit would also be a very big expense compared to keeping her here.

I am hoping that now we have some special needs contacts in Gulu, we will be able to assist more children in future, who would otherwise be without any chance in life at all.  This whole experience has brought it home to me, how necessary Cece Primary School is to Nimule.