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Programs
The CBR Tororo Deaf Project
This was set up in April 2002 running to 2005. It is funded by the Norwegian Association of the Disabled (NAD) through the Government of Uganda in Tororo and OD - Norway through NAD specifically for the Youth programs.
This is basically a rehabilitative program, involving many stakeholders like local leadership, the administration, disabled people's organisation's (DPO's), NGO's working with disabled people, parents of Deaf children and the Ministry of Gender.
The idea was to involve as many stakeholders as possible to have the Deaf people rehabilitated as much as possible within the communities. These were therefore the objectives:- To mobilize all the Deaf people in Tororo into a strong group/Association
- To promote the training and use of Sign Language as a means of communication for the Deaf
- To mobilize parents of the Deaf children into a meaningful association
- To provide for associative devices (hearing aids) for some Deaf people
- To create awareness in the community about Deaf people
Achievements
- A Deaf Association called Tororo Deaf Association has been formed and registered. It has created Sub-county Deaf Associations in each of the twenty four sub-counties of Tororo
- Tororo Deaf Association now has a functional Executive Committee which assists in the implementation of the CBR program
- Three volunteers have received basic Sign Language training skills from UNAD to enable them train other interested people and volunteers
- The Executive committee has had training in capacity building
- 30 parents of Deaf children have received training in Sign Language and have formed an association
- 30 Deaf adults have received training in Sign Language in level 1A and 1B
- Some awareness has been made through the distribution of branches provided by UNAD
- One member of the Committee received a hearing aid set
- Sign Language manuals for the Sub-county Association have been produced and are ready for distribution
- The Association has an office, postal address; PO. BOX 1189, Tororo, bank account and has acquired a bicycle to ease on transport
- 10 volunteer interpreters received Sign Language training under the OD program
Challenges
- There is still need for awareness raising in the community. The brochures need to updated to match with the current trend of events
- Communication in Sign Language is still lacking since volunteers have nowhere to conduct Sign Language trainings
- There is still lack of interpretation service. This greatly hinders the volunteers carring out lobbying activities at the district level
- There is no smooth flow of funds to guarantee continuity of the program. For example funds tend to delay and when they come work plans are behind schedule because of lost time
Recommendations
- Sign Language trainings continue to cater for more Deaf people and parents. More volunteers need to be trained so as to help training at Sub-county levels
- Training in capacity building of the Executive Committee should continue so as to strengthen their managerial skills
- There is need to have a sitting Program Officer to continue supervising the program and help in strengthening the Association's capacity
- There is need to have a sitting interpreter to help lead the Deaf to different officers to lobby for more opportunities, more especially in areas of health
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