Sung-Taaba - Helping Deaf and Blind Students in Ghana

Sung-Taaba - Helping Deaf and Blind Students in Ghana

On July 14^th, our new friend T.B. took us to the airport in Accra, keeping 2 suitcases for us since we were traveling in-country.  We flew to Tamale in the northern part of Ghana.  Our goal for this part of the trip was to meet the deaf girls, Mozaifa and Hawa, and see them in their school, and to meet and spend time with Matthew, who is blind.  Tamale was to be our “home base” for this. 

 

Welcome sign at Savelegu, with each letter showing its sign beneath it.

The next morning, the rooster wakened us at 5:15 a.m., just 15 minutes before our alarm.  We wanted to arrive at the Savelegu Deaf School in time for morning assembly at 7.  

Morning Assembly

Madame Gertrude

Madame Gertrude, Headmistress, had just arrived that morning from Accra.  She had been learning about a proposed private university for deaf students, initiated by a group from France.  Right now, she explains, deaf students are mixed in with hearing students.  So they sit in class while a teacher teaches, but do not get the interpretation until later, when the deaf students are taken off by themselves.  From her point of view, the teachers are just “blowing in the air”, as far as the deaf students are concerned.  She has 29 teachers and 2 volunteers for about 450 students from age 4 through junior high, but it changes from term to term as often parents cannot pay the school fees or for transportation.  Students live on the campus, and the government pays tuition and room & board, but some students live far from the school and transportation to and from school between terms is difficult.  [Matthew, our blind student supported by Sung-Taaba, had a 5-hour bus ride from his home village to meet us in Tamale the next day.]  Once students complete their schooling here, there is a high school near Accra specifically for deaf students. 

Hawa, cathy, and Mozaifa in front of one of the buildings at Savelegu. 

Mozaifa is 16, of slight build and a little shy, but with a sweet smile.  She recently competed in an ICT (technical – computers) competition in Accra and did extremely well.  The teachers all were so proud of her!  Her family are nomads, caring for animals.  They just live in the next town but during break Mozaifa normally stays with her aunt.  She has been here since kindergarten and has taught a couple of her siblings some sign language so they can communicate.  She is not keen on sports but is excellent with computers.  Both she and Hawa desire to attend the high school near Accra when they finish here.  Mozaifa would like to be a banker but knows that would be difficult with trying to communicate with customers, so she might be a teacher.  Gertrude tells us that she is much happier here at school than at home.

Hawa is a strong young woman who loves sports.  She excels at volleyball and often plays football (our soccer) with the boys.  Her family lives far away and her father is blind.  Both she and Mozaifa would not be able to attend school here without the help from Sung-Taaba, both with the fees (23 cedis per term, roughly $6) and with transportation between terms.  Hawa would love to be a nurse.  She is not sure how that would work with her being deaf, so she may instead have to be a teacher.  Both of the girls like English, and Religious and Moral Education class.  Here they learn about Islam, Christianity, and traditional religions.  Hawa also likes sign language class. 

They are in the 2^nd year of junior high; next year will be their third and last year.  There are 10 boys and 10 girls in their current class.  They will be on break for the summer from July 29^th to September 10^th.  They have another break in December for Christmas, then they are off in May and June.  Both of the girls have been deaf since they were young, but were not born deaf.  Hawa says she got into a fight, walked home through driving rain, and when she arrived home, she could not hear; Mozaifa’s loss was more gradual.   Both girls can hear very loud sounds, like drums. 

Madame Gertrude is passionate about the school and trying to do what is best for the children.  We notice that they are well-behaved, orderly and disciplined.  The teachers we meet are so dedicated – Daniel (social studies), Steven (integrated sciences), Fauzie (English), and Benjamin (sports).  They help us immensely to communicate with the girls.  The school raises corn in the garden to help subsidize the government food allocation.  The Catholic Church is helping to get machines for woodshop, then students will be able to make new furniture as they need it.  Gertrude presents us with scarves woven by the children; they are able to sell them.  In VoTech they do weaving, sewing, and dressmaking. 

Teachers sign to Hawa and Mozaifa as we begin to get to know them. 

We ask Gertrude to tell us her biggest problem.  That is easy – the place is so very open!  It is open to the very busy highway at the front, it is open on the other sides for strangers to come into the campus.  One day a new 4-year-old boy got on the road and all the cars stopped and he was very scared.  He was from a rural area and it was just his second day at school.  They do plenty of training with the students about the dangers of the road.  

The goats are clearing the volleyball field

Then at night, thieves come in to steal, but the students cannot hear so they are not awakened.  Gertrude has been working with the government for 5 years to try to get a fence!  Steven takes us all around for a tour of the school.  He is a friend of Richard’s.  [For those of you who know our good friend Ka Freeman, her daughter Joy is married to Richard.  Richard originally began helping Matthew, who is blind, and Richard and Joy eventually founded Sung-Taaba.]  As we visit the buildings and classrooms, the children give us each our own sign.  We learn that each student and teacher has their own sign, so everyone can be identified by that one sign, instead of spelling out their entire name.  The children are happy, polite, and helpful.  We have a delightful day with them and are encouraged to have met the girls and be able to see them in their own place.  We give Benjamin a Mission Ball (soccer ball with Bible truths on it), have full backpacks for the girls, and leave with our scarves and good memories of Savelugu.