I want to go to school!

But when going to school does not come automatically – when you are deaf and cannot go to your local school and your family do not have the money to send you to the only secondary level boarding school which accepts deaf children in the Province – then school becomes more important to you.

Lawrence arrived at Nzeve with his mother from their rural home and wants to go to school.  He finished primary school last year. His family have, with some help from Operation Orphan, already paid for 7 years education, but the sad truth is he can hardly read, having started school at age 10 with no language at all (signed or speech – just a few gestures), but he is now too old to stay at Primary School and if he is going to carry on at school he must go to the secondary school- where he can board.  For him school means community – at home no one can sign much and it’s a lonely place to be.

If deaf children are identified and assisted when very young, children like Lawrence can do better at school.  But where stigma and discrimination are such huge problems it is only the minority who get support.  Nzeve staff and deaf adults travel to remote areas to raise deaf awareness amongst the communities with the aim of demystifying deafness and identifying children while they are still young.  We are also able to inform the communities about services available and assist them to access the help they deserve.

Please help children like Lawrence get to school when they are young- support deaf children in Zimbabwe!

Thanks,

Libby