Jamasi School for the Deaf

While in Ghana, we decided to use our abilities to the highest potential. For my mom, this meant working in the classroom and spending one on one time with the children. For me, I decided I needed to put my American Sign Language skills to use! I didn't know that Ghana's Deaf population used ASL, until I recognized two Deaf men signing in the market! I immediately jumped in, asking questions about the Deaf community in Kumasi. Through our dear friend Anthony, who was our representative from projects abroad, we were able to find a Deaf school to visit. We took the five hour bus ride to Jamasi, where we visited the Jamasi School for the Deaf. The children were ecstatic! They were excited to see an Obruni (white person) speaking sign language. I talked to the children and teachers, and the parents of Deaf children. We were visiting the school just as the term had ended, and this was a boarding school, so many of the children were being picked up by parents to make the long trip home. When I saw a young girl crying near the gates, I asked her why she was upset. She explained to me that she didn't want to go home. I asked why not, and she said that her parents couldn't communicate with her, because they didn't know any sign language. This broke my heart. Imagine living in a world where no one can understand you, and you cant understand anyone else, even your own parents. I realized how devastated these kids were to leave school and return to their families, and it made me want to help them. My goal for Deaf children in Ghana is to be able to live a happy childhood, and to be able to communicate with their own family. When we return to Jamasi in June, I will teach parent's of Deaf children the importance of communication with their child. Our second project regarding the Deaf school is for a dormitory  The students who are both Deaf and Blind are living in one room, which is not big enough to accommodate all of them. We were given the plans to build a dorm building  unit for the Deaf/Blind students, and we will start raising funds for that this summer. If you have any connections with charities or organizations that would be willing to help us with this project, please contact us.