Imagine you are a deaf-mute child, born near the Kilimanjaro Mountains…
Your parents love you but don’t really know how to take care of you. And society considers you an outcast. Even if you can go to a school, the teachers are not trained to teach you. So, you hardly learn anything. And you lose hope to become someone.
Then, The Msandaka school changes everything
There is a special school in Msandaka for speaking- and hearing-impaired children like you. And your parents say you can go!
The first day, the teachers welcome you with open arms. You learn sign language and a whole world opens up for you. For the first time you can actually communicate. And really learn things.
And you’re making deaf-mute friends too. They feel the same things and are as eager as you to learn and play. Now you can make something of your life... You have a future!
For many people in Tanzania, a deaf child is considered a taboo.
Not so at the Msandaka Lions Deaf Centre!
Since its start in 2001, 250 speech and hearing-impaired children have studied here. Over 100 have already successfully completed their primary education through the seventh-grade level.
Beginning with a single classroom and 13 students, the school now has 120 students.
With the support of the Lions Club and Close the Gap, the school has grown to 14 classrooms, with a computer classroom with voice recognition software. There are also 4 dormitories, a multi-purpose hall, 1 workshop, 3 staff houses, a kitchen, a steel food silo, a farm structure for cows and one for chicken etc.
Build a dream
To help the students learn a profession, we dream of crating a vocational centre for the Deaf.
We want to lead these young adults to one of six professions: farmer, tailor, carpenter, plumber, arts & crafts, and information technology.
Support us in building this dream. Help us to raise our total project budget of 227,000 euro. We’re already advanced in this funding effort. But we need more funds to make it a reality.
Visit the project on Facebook
