We come to the end of International Week of the Deaf 2020 and congratulate the World Federation of the Deaf for valuable events and posts during the week. This year’s theme is ‘Reaffirming Deaf People’s Human Rights’. We endorse the need to secure and promote the human rights of deaf people everywhere. We are privileged to support six deaf girls at secondary school in North Malawi. Embangweni Secondary School for Deaf Children is run by our partners, the CCAP Synod of Lvingstonia.
Two of these girls are supported by the Scottish Government as part of the Cameron Endowment Fund which we manage on their behalf. Three others are supported through our Thompson Fund, established in the memory of Jack and Phyllis Thompson who lived and worked in Malawi most of their lives. The girl that we have supported the longest is now in her final months at school and wrote her story to give to us. We share it on our website here.
For many reasons education is a greater challenge for deaf children in Malawi than for hearing children. Our contribution is small but very important to these girls. Our Malawi Manager, Mercy Sibande, is learning sign language so as to improve her communication with them. We invite you to watch our short video of the Thompson girls newly starting their secondary school education in 2019.