Santina
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The second recipient of the International Deaf Education and Advancement Fund scholarship was Santina Mwarania in 1995. Mwarania, who is from Kenya, graduated with a bachelor's degree with social work that May and re
Mwarania wrote the following letter to explain what she knows of life for deaf and hard of hearing people in Kenya at the time she left home in 1990 and her plans for when she returns
During the 1960s, there were only two schools for deaf students available in Kenya. These two schools were established by Dutch missionaries. I attended one of them when I was 6 years old. Access to high school for deaf students was not available. It w
Coming to Gallaudet has been a wonderful opportunity for me. I have learned a lot! I have built my self esteem. I have developed confidence in myself. I have eliminated my negative attitudes and replaced them with positive attitudes and thoughts. I hav
Finances are always a big problem for international students, especially those from third world countries. It is difficult to make ends meet. Most of them get a little financial assistance during the first few years, but then they struggle when the fel
Kenya now has several schools for deaf students. It is mandatory for all children to attend school, including deaf children, but schools are few. Deaf children are on waiting lists. The oral/aural method of teaching is used. Authorities at the Universi
There are some deaf individuals who manage to enter the hearing colleges and universities but they encounter many barriers. Lack of funds and limited encouragement from the Kenya education system are major problems. Some people succeed and others do no
There are few sign language interpreters in Kenya, let alone qualified ones. The efforts of the Kenya National Association of the Deaf is to be commended because it is trying to recruit and train interpreters for deaf people in Kenya.
There are no TTYs or closed captions available in Kenya. The education system in Kenya is good for training hearing teachers to become qualified teachers of deaf students. They do not, however, accept deaf people who want to bec
I have not seen the law, but I have heard that deaf people in Kenya are not allowed to drive. Deaf people in Kenya are allowed to vote, but communication difficulties prevent many from participating. We face discrimination on the job especially if we a
In Kenya, there are counseling services for the hearing population but not such services for the deaf population, either in the community or in schools for deaf students.
When I am ready to return home, my greatest concern will be with deaf women and girls. I plan to work with deaf students, especially girls and their families, to help them understand the psychological aspects of deafness and the kinds of accommodations
At the community level, I plan to organize deaf-awareness workshops for the general public, especially for professionals who work with deaf people such as doctors, nurses, and police officers. In addition, I plan to organize workshops for deaf girls to
My success in my career would help me to be a role model for deaf girls in Kenya. Being the first deaf Kenya woman to obtain bachelor's and master's degrees would show deaf girls that they can succeed no matter what their obstacles are. If I have succe
Santina
Return to the I-DEAF homepage.
Return to Andrea Shettle's resume.
Return to Andrea Shettle's homepage.
This page was last updated on 28 May 2002 by Andrea Shettle.