|  Ka Tutandike Trust UK and Deaf Child Worldwide are working in partnership with Ka Tutandike (Uganda) to to protect Deaf children from physical and mental abuse and forms of sexual exploitation.
In 2008, Ka Tutandike Uganda carried out a Situational Analysis in Masaka District, with a focus on Reproductive Health and Rights of Deaf young people 8-24. The findings showed that not only are these Deaf young people marginalized but they are stigmatized and many times abused. The abuse is many times not addressed because those who would have handled the cases of abuse lack the language and skills to do so. So despite the significant strides made in the area of disability by the Government of Uganda, the Deaf continue to face many challenges.
Sign Language is one of the languages in the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda however, its knowledge and use is limited and even in the Deaf schools where it is used, it is limited when it comes to the crucial area of Reproductive Health. Yet this is a highly crucial area since like all young people, the bodies of the Deaf young people are undergoing changes and yet, the majority are not equipped with the right information and life skills to handle these changes. This is against their Reproductive Health and rights and sadly, many of them become victims to abuse, sexual exploitation, HIV/AIDS, violence and suffer stigma and marginalization.
In an attempt to contribute towards alleviating these problems, Ka Tutandike Uganda started working on a Reproductive Health Education Project for Deaf youth in 2009. The Project has since evolved in to a Programme that includes economic empowerment for the Deaf.
KTU's Disability Programme Goal is: To improve the Reproductive Health and economic status of young, Deaf people through improving the provision of Reproductive Health information and strengthening income generating activities.
Programme Objectives
In order to realize the above goal, Ka Tutandike commits to achieve the following objectives;
- To increase the ability of primary school teachers and community trainers to effectively communicate Reproductive Health information and content to young, Deaf people
- To support parent support groups in enhancing access to and use of Reproductive Health information and knowledge for young, Deaf people
- To strengthen the provision of inclusive Reproductive Health services for young Deaf people
- To increase awareness of the Reproductive Health needs of young, Deaf people, especially within Government, so as to influence and inform policy
- To introduce and strengthen income generating activities aimed at economic empowerment of the Deaf
Policy Framework
At National level we strongly draw upon and work within the existing policy framework. Key policies we refer to include the
- The Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP II) 2005/6-2009
- The HIV/AIDS National Strategic Framework
- The Children's Act (1997)
Our work is also aimed at meeting international goals and treaties key among them are, Millennium Development Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases and the UN Convention on the Rights of Peoples with Disability (2007), to which Uganda is a signatory.
Achievements to date
- Facilitating Sign Language training on Reproductive Health for Deaf young people, teachers, health workers, the police and the community
- Training members of management and project staff in basic Sign Language
- Employing Deaf people in technical roles
- Working with a wide spectrum of Deaf volunteers
- Spear heading and setting up a National Coalition of NGOs working in the area of Deafness in Uganda
- Leading on lobbying for favourable policy and advocacy by convening a national symposium on "identifying best methodologies towards the education of the Deaf child in Uganda (August 2011)
- Economically empowering the Deaf and their parents through skills training in income generating activities e.g. agriculture, jewelry making, poultry keeping and others
However, there have been a number of challenges faced. One of them is the fact that the National Disability policy (2006) and other disability specific laws have not been adequately publicized and implemented and, are consequently not mainstreamed in to the country's development programmes. In particular we note with concern that, the Government has not taken deliberate effort to implement its constitutional obligation to ensure the development and use of Sign Language in all sectors, despite Sign Language being one of the three recognized official languages in the constitution of Uganda.
Ka Tutandike continues to network, forge partnerships and raise the much requires resources for this programme.
Designing the Project with the Community
Ka Tutandike spoke with Deaf Children, their Teachers, Parents, Officials and Health Workers in Masaka to start building relationships and to design the project hand-in-hand with the community.
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Ka Tutandike's Situational Analysis in Masaka |