Ghent non-profit helps deaf children in Tanzania into school
Klimvis is working with locals to help deaf children in developing countries get access to education, starting with a project in Tanzania
Growing up isolated
Only 3% of deaf children in Tanzania go to school, with the vast majority growing up isolated in a family of hearing people who don’t know sign language. To improve these children’s situation, Klimvis is starting its first project in Kigoma in the west of the country.
Two of the founders, Ellen Heymans and Jan Jaeken, are currently in Tanzania for 10 weeks to prepare the project with the local community. “A project is only sustainable if you have locals who also want to support it,” Heymans told De Morgen.
Heymans previously lived in Kigoma for eight months to create a dictionary of the local sign language with the local deaf community.
Towards the end of the year, she and Jaeken will return to Flanders to discuss their findings with their fellow team members, one of whom is deaf. “It was important for us to involve someone who knows how it feels to fight for a basic right like accessible education,” Heymans said.
Klimvis receives assistance from the 4de Pijler (Fourth Pillar) support point of Belgian aid charity 11.11.11.
Photo courtesy Klimvis/Facebook
