By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a bid to support children living with disabilities, especially those suffering from speech and hearing impairment in the country, the One Family People organization, with support from Liliane Funds, has on Thursday 8th July, 2021 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National School for the Deaf which was followed by the donation of Vocational Skills Training equipment worth millions of Leones to the National School for the Deaf. The signing and handing over ceremony took place at the National School for the Deaf on Wilkinson Road in Freetown.
In his address, the Programme Manager of One Family People, Samuel P.O.V Macaulay expressed appreciation to the Board Members and the Staff of the National School for the Deaf for their tireless efforts in making the signing of the MOU a success describing such as a move in the right direction in addressing issues faced by those affected children.
He added that their organization is a disability focused entity that has been working assiduously to create a conducive environment for persons living with disability across the country which includes children who have speech and hearing impairment adding that as an organization they noticed that such children have been left out in society.
The Programme Manager pointed out that despite the efforts made by the National School for the Deaf to gain widespread recognition and acceptance, however, the issue of discrimination is still tired around children who suffer from speech and hearing impairment in the country of which he said although they are disable they should not be discriminated against but rather to be seen as useful children in society.
He maintained that as an organization they realized that among all the various forms of disabilities, people with speech and hearing impairment are one of the most vulnerable in society, stating that it is in that regard that they decided to join hands with the National School for the Deaf in order to guarantee a brighter future for those kids.
Samuel P.O.V Macaulay noted that as an organization they noticed that the transition period of children living with disabilities from Primary to Secondary school is fraught with constraints of which he said that inasmuch as they advocate for inclusive education they are also advocating for children living with disabilities further underscoring the need to put emphasis on technical and vocational education.
Head Teacher of the National School for the Deaf, Winifred Kamara-Cole (Mrs) expressed appreciation to the One Family People for both the signing of the MOU and the donation of the Vocational Skills Training equipment to the National School for the Deaf.
She called on all to stop the discrimination against speech and hearing impaired children stating that rather society should see them as very important children in and help in creating the enabling environment for them.
She assured all that the donated items will be used for the intended purposes in order to empower the children.
On her part, Chairperson of the Board for the National School for the Deaf, Josephine Kargbo, applauded the One Family People for the kind gesture which she described as very important towards the empowerment of these children.
She revealed that the National School for the Blind is in dire need of a vocational training center which will host these children after completing their primary school, adding that for most of the children after completing their primary school that is the end of their educational pursuit as it is only a few that normally proceed to secondary school.
Josephine Kargbo maintained that with the vocational training center such will enable these children to learn skills which will help them greatly by making them self-reliant of which she said the donated Vocational Skills Training equipment are not only important but came in timely.
On behalf of the Board she assured the One Family People that they will closely work with them in order to fulfill what is imbedded in the MOU.
The event was climaxed by the official signing of the MOU and the handing over of the Vocational Skills Training equipment by the Executive Director of One Family People Samuel Edward to the Chairperson of the Board for the National School for the Deaf, Josephine Kargbo.
