Umivita - news from May and June

In their own words...

EDUCATION PROGRESS

MAY 2012

Classroom activities:

Normal class activities including making correction for some questions of the past mid term exams done on last march

Benefit: To enable pupils to know their mistakes of the past exams.

Offering Sign Language Training in Health Institutions:

Two nurses from Muhimbili National Hospital and one volunteer from Tanzanear, (Emma Sweet) attended sign language training to enable them to communicate effectively with the deaf at their working places. That is because there are neither public nor private hospitals in Tanzania offering sign language services to the people with these hearing disabilities.

Benefit: This program will pave way for smooth communication between the health staffs and deaf people looking for treatments

Advisory Supports to deaf parents/Guardians:

After failure of three deaf students to join Kenyan schools as secured by UMIVITA, we gave their parents to transfer them to local institutions.

At the end, Mr. Clemence Chilunda from Emotomo Boys Secondary Sschools and Ashraf Wahid and Nemat Zulfikar of Mumias Girls Secondary School both in Kenya are in a move to join Amani Vocational Training Centre of Iringa after the end of first term.

Benefit: The students would study in an environment that has a reasonable cost as well as furthering dream for better future.

Enabling the transfer of a deaf girl:

UMIVITA successfully transferred Rehema Ndonya from Pugu Kajiungeni to Benjamini Mkapa High school which has special unit for the deaf.

Benefit: Enabling Rehema to study in a suitable and friendly environment.

Home visit:

UMIVITA visited Mr. Richard Chussi, deaf student lives at Mbagala Rangi tatu who failed to continue with his studies at Malangali High School of Iringa due to lack of school fees. We continue in order to find way to help him return back to school. UMIVITA is now contacting with the Ministry of education and vocational trainings through special education department about exemption of school fees for this orphan.

Benefit: This we optimist will return Richard back to Malangali for his future dream

Location and attendance at evening classes:

The project was conducted at Mtoni-Twiga and Temeke deaf units from Monday to Friday with average number of 45 and 35 when it was a fear of Tsunami in Indian where pupils have to hurry to their homes. 14 hours spent per week.

EDUCATION PROGRESS

MAY, 2012

First term preparation exams:

Pupils were prepared to face their terminal exams examinations to be done early next month. Main priorities were to deal with difficult questions and to avoid stress during tests

Benefit: Pupils are ready to do their exams.

Sign Language to Buguruni Teachers

UMIVITA met with Buguruni School for the deaf head teacher to discuss about renewing sign language training among the school’s teachers after the disastrous attendance due to unknown reasons despite that there is no charges for participants. The head mistress is going to discuss it with other teachers to find a solution to poor attendance problems.

Benefit: The meeting is going to give us another step to what to do in the program intending to improve communication between the school staffs and the deaf children.

Advocacy meeting with Permanent secretary:

Miss Tungi Mwanjala met with Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development Ms. Kijazi to raise issue of Mr. Timothy Augustine, young deaf person who completed a bachelor degree in community development at Tengeru Community College but who was unable to collect his academic documents due to his failure to pay the fees. Ms Kijazi showed an interest to help this young man as soon as possible.

Benefit: Would enable Timothy to obtain his academic certificates and hence use them in search for job.

Meeting with Commissioner of Education:

UMIVITA also made an advocacy meeting with the commissioner for education at ministry of education and vocational training about education problems faced by the deaf as well as about her promise to include previous staffs of evening classes on honorary payments in this financial year. At the end of the conversation, she said that she should first accompanied with UMIVITA to deaf schools/units to witnessing what we told her before taking actions that would reduce the lack of teachers.

Benefit: This will not only decrease lack of teacher problems but also offer employment to young deaf teachers.

Location and attendance:

The project was conducted at Temeke and Twiga deaf units and average number of attendance were 51 pupils with 14 hours being spent per week.

PROGRESS REPORT

June 2012

Employment opportunities

After having interview in previous month for four deaf people at Radar Development , one of them, Mr Bakari Ally successful get employment at CCBRT hospital as a laundry machine supervisor.

The other previous interviewee, Mr. Khaji Soud had get a place at Tanzania International Container Services (TICTS) , one of the largest investor in Tanzania and in Sub Saharan Africa . TICTS is one of the few private companies that are abiding to UN Convention on Disabled. We witnessed different types of disabled working there.

Benefit: The employment would enable these young deaf people to build their lives at the present and future.

Visit by the FCS

Foundation for Civil Society staffs visited UMIVITA to asses the organisation capacity as well as implementation of its funded project that saw UMIVITA having its Five Years Strategic Plan as well as Financial Regulation.

Benefit: We were able to learn something amiss in our every day operation and hence improving the way we are working.

National Executive Board Meeting:

UMIVITA executive board meeting convened to discuss last year and future business as well as completion of project funded b y FCS.

Benefit: To abide UMIVITA, solved many difficult answer as well as showcase of good governance

Attending a four days workshop

UMIVITA was among disabled organisations invited by the Foundation for Civil Society to a four days workshop conducted at Ubungo Plaza and facilitated by various local and international figures to discuss implementation of international disabled rights of 2006 (UNCRPD) and the Tanzania disability act of 2010 .

Benefit: Learned many disabled rights that would enable us to advocate for our clients.

And other day to day activities

EDUCATION REPORT FOR JUNE 2012

Meeting with Open University of Tanzania (OUT):

UMIVITA met with Head of Assistive Special Technology Unit of OUT, Dr. Cosmas Mnyan to clear way for deaf people to join the unit as per discussion with our Patron who is the Vice Chancellor of OUT, Pro. Tolly Mbwette. Dr. Mnyanyi agreed with our recommendations including availability of Sign Language interpreter during a lecturer. However, Dr. Mnyanyi recommended that all deaf students to enrol at the unit should start with learning Computer application while friendly environment for other course are under way.

Benefit: Enabling deaf people to get university education in the coming year.

Providing advice to deaf people:

UMIVITA provided advice to three deaf people who wanted to continue with their education but unable to cover school/college fees. Salehe Muhaiki, an orphan residing at Manzese we introduced to his MP, Hon. John Mnyika who has a special fund from the government to assist his voters. The same was to Ignas Augustine of Butimba Teachers college .

Benefit: The fund we contacted is going to assist them to continue with their studies.

Advisory service to parent of deaf person:

UMIVITA met with Mr. Karim Nditi , a kigamboni resident who has deaf daughter, Miss Salma who passed to public secondary school at Iringa girls but failed to join there due to falling ill. The parent was seeking advice on what to do after her daughter being late to report at the school for three month now. We advised him to come with documents that will enable us to follow up the issue at ministry of education in order this young girl can rejoin the school next year which we hope she would be physical fit to study.

Benefit: Enabling Salma not to lose her opportunity to study.

Sign language training in Iringa:

UMIVITA Iringa Branch got fund from The foundation for Civil Society for sign language training for teachers and nurses of Iringa region. UMIVITA headquarters is going to facilitate some of training out there

Benefit: The project will smooth communication between teachers, nurses and deaf people in Iringa

Location, attendance and hour spent:

The evening classes at this month was conducted at Temeke deaf unit buildings. The attendance was low as some students travelled outside Dar es salaam and others were chosen to join Dar es salaam region sports team to participated in all primary schools sports which is going to an end in July.