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Newsletter NHSD Foundation, November 2017

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Dear readers,

It has been a while since our last newsletter. In the meantime the New Hope School for the Deaf has made a lot of progress. The cooperation with our partners in Uganda is going well and we notice our support is well spent. Both the quality of and access to primary education for deaf children is swiftly improving. We also notice a change for the better in the living conditions for deaf children and youth. There have been many new projects initiated around the school which we’d love to introduce to you!

Our approach
For our foundation a holistic approach to the improvement of living conditions for the deaf in Uganda is very important. This means that we do not only want to provide access to good quality education. We also aim to improve the integration of deaf people into Ugandan society, and to reduce stigmatization and discrimination.

Our close cooperation with the New Hope School for the Deaf helps us to reach our goals bottom-up. Via the school we contribute to an ever-growing community in which knowledge about and acceptance of deaf people is central.

We do this, among others, through the development of projects in and around the school. For instance, we initiate programs that tackle specific issues, such as deaf people’s access to the labour market; or awareness-raising about the causes of Deafness.
Doing homework outside

Documentary
To increase knowledge about deaf people in Uganda and the New Hope School for the Deaf, the artist Komfort Abemegisha made a short documentary, commissioned by our foundation. You can find this documentary on Youtube, with English, Dutch and German subtitles!

Watch the documentary of the New Hope School for the Deaf here!

Events in the region
Part of the integration programme is the school’s participation in events in the region. Here they can show their neighbours that they go to school, play games and practice sports just like hearing children. They just learn a different language!

The events that were the most fun were the sports games: volleyball and football. Our pupils entered the competition and made it to the county level! Unfortunately the county did not have enough money to organise the final match. The children will be training hard for next year however

Playing football together

Skills program
The opportunities to follow secondary education for deaf youth in Uganda are scarce. For this reason we find it important to hand our pupils as much knowledge as possible.

To do so, we initiated the skills program: on Saturdays, the pupils of the New Hope School can participate in various workshops, such as baking, making candles and shoemaking. They can use the skills they learn later in life to earn an income.

To make this program possible, we buy the materials and hire instructors. The monthly costs for this are around €100,-. With your support you contribute to this project!

Chapati making workshop

Solar system
After a long day at school the pupils often have to do some homework. Unfortunately it gets dark in Uganda at seven PM every day. You can’t communicate with sign language in the dark, because you can’t see each other. Lamps resolve this, but the electricity in the village is unreliable and often turns off without warning.

As a solution we installed a solar panel on the roof of the dorms. Thanks to a helpful donor we could replace the old, faulty battery for a new one of good quality. Now the children will never have to be in the dark!

The new solar battery
Our foundation on summer markets
This year our foundation has been present on several Dutch summer markets. We sold Ugandan crafts, often made by teachers, pupils and partners of the New Hope School for the Deaf. All profits go to our projects in Uganda.

In addition we made use of the opportunity to inform many people about difficulties deaf people face in Uganda, and what our foundation does to improve this situation. Coming December we can be found again at the Christmas market in Singen in Germany!
Proud of our market stand!

The work we do in Uganda is extremely important! We would therefore like to ask you kindly to support us. To help us secure the future of our projects, we are especially happy with a monthly donation, but of course all contributions are very welcome! You can donate to Stichting New Hope School for the Deaf, IBAN: NL74 RABO 0301 2992 50

Planned name change
Our current name, ‘New Hope School for the Deaf Foundation’ of course refers to our close involvement with the deaf school in Uganda. Our goals, however, are broader than ‘just’ the development of this school.To reflect our broad approach, we would like to change the name of our foundation. Preferably to something short and catchy, and easy to find online. Do you have any ideas?

Greetings from Uganda!

Sign language course in Uganda
One of the most important subjects regarding integrating deaf children and youth in society is of course communication. To contribute to better contact between the Deaf and their social environment, our foundation, in cooperation with the New Hope School, organises a sign language course twice a year. This course is accessible for all parents of the pupils of the school, as well as for everyone in the region who is interested.

During these courses attention is paid to more than just language lessons. Participants also learn about the daily life experiences of deaf people. What is it like to be deaf? What problems do deaf people encounter?

Participants can share personal experiences and support each other. Many parents indicate to be happy to have the opportunity to learn more about their deaf child and his or her language. The last course was given in September and was again a great success!

Sign language course for grown-ups

Fetching water with a bike
What we use mindlessly on a daily basis, can sometimes not be taken for granted at the school. The pupils have to get water from a borehole every day. By hand, it takes 1,5 hours to pump up the water and take it to the school. This is heavy work and the children have less time to play! Luckily, thanks to donations we were able to buy a heavy-loads-bike. This bike can transport six jerrycans of 20L at once. That helps!

Heavy-loads-bike in action

Livestock project
We are very pleased with the generosity of a donor in Uganda: he gave the school 38 chickens, two goats and three rabbits! The animal protein and fats from the eggs and goat milk contribute to a healthy diet for the school’s pupils.

In addition, the children learn how to take care of the animals. This skill can be of use when they have to generate their own income later in life. When there are more eggs than the children can eat, the extra eggs will be sold, as well as the little chicks and bunnies. Step by step this will make the project self-sufficient!

Student with one of the chicks

HIV tests
After an invitation from the teachers, health workers from the hospital nearby came to the school to test all deaf kids for HIV and to provide information. HIV is still a very common disease in Uganda, even though much action is undertaken to prevent HIV.

If the parents and the school know the status of the child, they can help: medicines are prescribed, and these kids receive special nutrition to strengthen their bodies. Also, it is important to determine how a possible new infection came about. Deaf children are extra vulnerable for (sexual) abuse. It is therefore of great importance that we keep an eye on whether the children feel good, both psychologically and physically.

Health workers visited the school

Would you like to help? You're keenly invited! You can donate to:
Stichting New Hope School for the Deaf, NL74 RABO 0301 2992 50

Thank you for reading this newsletter!

Remarks and ideas concerning the school, the foundation or this newsletter are always very welcome. Please do not hesitate to send us a message via
info@stichtingnhsd.org!

You can also follow us on facebook to stay informed on the activities of our foundation.
Copyright © 2017 Stichting New Hope School for the Deaf, All rights reserved.

You can make a donation to NL74 RABO 0301 2992 50 attn Stichting New Hope School for the Deaf.

If you have questions, tips or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact us! Our email address is:
info@stichtingnhsd.org

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