Sahaya Deaf – Kenya

Note: the Sahaya Deaf-Kenya program has currently no activity but we hope some of the information below, including the manuals may be useful for your programs. In addition, if you like to get advice from the program manager Jakki Odwesso, who ran the program in Kenya, please send your e-mail to Sahaya founder Dr. Koen Van Rompay at [email protected] and he will forward it to Jakki. 

Who we are:

We are a group of volunteers from Kenya and the USA who combined their efforts from ~ 2004 to 2018 to promote programs to empower the Deaf communities in Kenya.

Our Vision

Our mission:

Sahaya Deaf Kenya’s purpose is to provide Deaf youth and adults, teachers, parents and guardians with comprehensively deaf-friendly information on health awareness and rights within a framework that utilizes optimal communication.

Our objectives:

• Creating deaf-friendly and accessible edutainment initiatives for the Deaf to promote awareness and informed choices on sexual health.
• To diversify the mental, social and economic welfare of the Deaf community by enhancing awareness, prevention, and support levels towards informed choices on sexual health.

Our Programs

Through joint cooperation with schools of the Deaf, Deaf Adult groups, local grassroots organizations and public institutions in Kenya we accomplished

1.  Deaf-friendly Networks and Linkages (DFNL): 
This program was designed to liberate the Deaf from marginalization that breeds lack of information, lack of support services, and lack of/poor skills.  The Deaf work with mainstream groups, organizations, service providers and community members to improve their health, education, legal rights situations, including social situations.  Deaf-friendly networks were set up in 15 schools for the Deaf, and are now self-supporting.

We started initially with 5 peer education networks in 3 schools (Nyangoma, Maseno, and Mumias schools of the Deaf in Nyanza and Western Provinces ). There we have trained 15 master teachers, and 160 peer educators.  An additional 22 other schools of the Deaf have been reached through outreach programs.We also empowered 55 service providers (doctors, clinical officers, nurses, children’s rights officers, education officers, police) on Deaf awareness to promote service provision to the Deaf community near the schools for the Deaf.

2.  Deaf-friendly information Educational Methodologies (DFEM): 
This program was designed to accelerate Deaf-friendly learning materials and methodologies to catapult the community’s awareness/literacy levels on sexual Reproductive health and legal/Human rights.  It was done with the target group members, youth groups, and folk media organizations, other IEC making organizations, health and Rights organizations.  These materials and methodologies were in form of booklets, CDs, Sign Language based posters on sexual rights., folk media and were freely distributed and shown to the Deaf and mainstream communities.

3. Sustainable Economic Development for Deaf (SEDD)
This program was designed to unshackle the Deaf from economic-dependency, and increase mainstream economic activities to support the fight against sexual reproductive ill-health.  Knowledge alone without economic leverage is an impediment to the holistic approach in the health and Human Rights empowerment process.

Manuals:

1st edition This manual was developed by Sahaya International in close collaboration with our sister NGO Grassroots Alliance for Community Education (GRACE; www.graceusa.org). The Deaf Peer’s Education Manual can be downloaded freely for your use. Please note that this product is copyrighted. It can be used by you (and you can print or xerox it), but cannot be altered or used for commercial purposes (meaning, to make profit for yourself) without the written permission of Sahaya International.  Click here to open or download the pdf of the Deaf Manual 1st edition.

2nd edition This manual was developed by Sahaya Deaf Kenya in close collaboration with Sahaya International and with support of the Gilead Foundation. The Deaf Peer’s Education Manual can be downloaded freely for your use. Please note that this product is copyrighted. It can be used by you (and you can print or xerox it), but cannot be altered or used for commercial purposes (meaning, to make profit for yourself) without the written permission of Sahaya International. Click here to download or open the pdf of the Deaf Peer’s Health Manual – A facilitator’s Guide.

Sahaya Deaf Awarness videos:

Part 1:

Sahaya Deaf: Deaf awareness- Part one. from Sahaya International on Vimeo.

Part 2:

Deaf Awareness Part 2- from Sahaya International on Vimeo.

Sahaya Deaf Puppetry show (with sign language)

(click on individual pictures to see a larger image)

Thank you: