Rwanda - Centre for Deaf Children in the Nyabihu District

Last week Channel 4's Unreported World article highlighted the experience of deaf children in Uganda. SignHealth has had a presence in Uganda for a long time, setting up the very first deaf pre-school in Kampala, training teachers and introducing sign language to the deaf community.

In Rwanda there is no state provision for Deaf children  The few schools for Deaf children in Rwanda are all privately run.  In Nyabihu, Louis, whose parents and all of his siblings apart from one brother were killed in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, has set up the first centre for deaf children in his home village.  He had previously established the first provision for deaf children in Nyange.

With the support from the Centre for Deaf Children in the Nyabihu District, the children are integrated into the local schools and happy.  However the rented accommodation at the Centre is poor, cramped and unsuitable. They hope to build a new centre. If you wish to learn more about the Centre, their work and their vision click  here