Nyakibale Lower Deaf Unit is a live-in educational unit that supports deaf and hard of hearing (HOH) children and children with disabilities who are vulnerable and often neglected by their community. Every child deserves to be loved, safe, and have dignity.
Nyakibale Lower Deaf Unit Staff
Education that fits a child's abilities and needs
Nyakibale Lower Deaf Unit is a catholic-founded school, established in 1995 to reduce the number of deaf and hard of hearing children left behind in the school system, communities, and families lacking support and resources.
The goal was to create a favorable learning environment so that children can gain a quality education and skills for self-sufficiency no matter their inherent ability.
Nyakibale Lower is supporting:
Currently, we are supporting 68 children on our unit with ten teachers and seven support staff.
Our goal is to help and support these children with a quality education that meets their unique needs while also providing guidance and counseling to their families so that the whole family can thrive.
Note: We're currently transitioning our model to support family-based care. Us transitioning our model will reduce the dependency on institutionalization so that we can help and impact more children from within their families.
Improving child self-concept and self-esteem
Nyakibale Lower Deaf Unit also empowers the children we serve with positive attitudes and a positive self-concept.
Through counseling and facilitation of practical skills, children can appreciate themselves better and, in turn, be appreciated within the community.
Improving self-esteem also increases opportunities for children to share balanced life as they dream bigger than before, reaching their goals and aspirations; socially, intellectually, economically, and spiritually.
Our Story
The idea for this project came from a teacher who realized five of his pupils were deaf and HOH but had no support from their family or community.
The teacher was motivated to make a change, seeing the lack of quality educational opportunities for these five students, and others. As a result, he created a favorable and adaptable learning environment that provided equal opportunity education and psychosocial support for deaf, HOH, and children with disabilities or special needs.
Next, he began lobbying for external aid to fund this mission, finding support from an English sponsor with a similar passion for child education and empowering children with disabilities in Uganda. The sponsor funded his project from 1995 to 2014 until she returned to England due to illness.
After investing from the English sponsor ended in 2014, the Nyakibale Parish (led by the parish priest) started caring for the unit with what little they could.
The Parish continues to help by providing what they can manage in terms of food. Sadly, there isn't much food available to provide to the children due to climate changes. It's challenging to keep operations going at times, but our dedicated staff and the successes we see from the children keep our motivations high.
The Problem
Sadly, it is not uncommon for people in our surrounding districts to believe dangerous superstitions about those with disabilities.
Deafness, being hard of hearing, or having a disability is often collectively seen as a curse. Therefore, these children are often neglected or ridiculed in community and family settings.
The Solution
Our Deaf Unit has already made great strides in facilitating mindset changes towards disability within the community. As a result, today, persons/children with disabilities are being brought out in public more often than ever, unlike before when sadly they were hidden from the public or kept indoors.
Over the past 20 years, more than 500 children have passed through Nyakibale Lower Deaf Unit. After completing primary seven, some have gone ahead to join secondary schools or vocational institutions. Most, if not all, have found their place in the broader community, taken up a trade, started a craft, and have found empowerment through their improved self-identity.
Photo of the children, taken in 1995 at the launching of Nyakibale Deaf Unit
Nyakibale Lower Deaf Unit launch day in 1995
Vision
To create a favorable learning environment with equal educational opportunities and psychosocial support for deaf, HOH, and children with disabilities to feel empowered within their community and thrive within family-based care settings.
Mission
To give a holistic development to children through support and inclusive education for future self-reliance. We also want to prevent family separation by sensitizing communities and educating families about their child's rights and needs, providing them with skills to better care for their children.
The Solution:
To safeguard the lives of vulnerable children and restore their dignity, especially for deaf, HOH, and children with disabilities. While doing the following:
- Reuniting children with biological parents when possible
- Placing children with next of kin
- Recruiting and preparing foster parents
Nyakibale Lower is making an impact in our community and beyond
Studies show that children thrive in families. Our dream is to be able to impact and transform the lives of more children by serving them from their homes and families rather than having them live at the unit.
Asiimwe Mark (4th from the left) poses for a photo with our staff and his grandparents during a follow-up home visit.
Leadership Team
Rev. Bp. Callist Ribaramiira
Bishop of Kabale Diocese
Fr. Silverino Beinomugisha
Parish Priest
Sr. Bonny ATUHAIRWE
Administrator
Assumpta TUMURAMYE
Social Worker
Joan NABASA
Secretary
Julius NUWAMANYA
Unit Caretaker
Milton TUMWESIGYE
Chairperson PTA
Annah TWONGEIRWE
Deputy in Charge
Desire ATUKUNDA
Senior Woman
ABIA Akankunda
Matron
BRUCE Nduhukiire
Patron
CELESTINE Tumwijukye
Cook
Dan Musaasizi
Cook
LOVINA Katushabe
Cook
David BYARUHANGA
Night Watchman/Security
JACENTA Mbabazi
School Nurse
Organizational Structure for Nyakibale Lower Deaf Unit
Organizational Structure for Nyakibale Lower Deaf Unit