By Lenah Bosibori
Deaf learners from three Counties have excelled in this year’s Sign Language spelling competition held in Nairobi recently.
The pupils who hailed from Kangundo AIC, Mumbuni Primary and St Mary’s Primary School scooped the top positions during the competition held at the university of Nairobi.
Margaret Kalekye from Kangundo AIC was the best in Pre-Primary Category, Linet Mumo from Mumbuni Primary scooping the Lower Primary Category and Nikita Chakulu from St Mary’s Primary School scooping the Upper Primary Category.
The Sign Language Spelling Competition is being held yearly; this year marked the second event of its nature since its inception in 2023. The event aimed at sensitizing school going children on the importance of learning finger as a language to ease interaction with the deaf people.
According to the Kenya National Population Census 2019, there are 153,381 Deaf people in Kenya aged above 5 years. The report further shows that most of the Deaf people (129,518) are in rural areas compared to urban areas (23,843).
The event organized by Agency for Disability and Development in Africa (ADDA) brought together 50 learners among them the deaf learners from three counties in Kenya namely Nairobi, Nakuru and Machakos representing three schools namely Iyani Kivaa Primary School from Masinga, Primary School from Machakos and Kangundo AIC Primary School.
The chosen schools are part of the inclusive Education Project in Machakos County. The project supported by Christian Blind Mission (CBM) seeks to promote inclusion of learners with disabilities in regular schools and it seeks to provide an opportunity for learners with and without prior experience in Sign language to interact and engage with their colleagues at a national level.
“We are bringing together the hearing child and the hearing-impaired child, the goal being inclusivity and to improve the comprehensive and literacy for our children and more so the Hearing-impaired children,” said Diana Wambui Kamau founder SLIC Hub the organizer of the Sign Language Spelling Bee Competition event.
“As a teacher, when we bring these learners to this competition, they interact with others from other parts of the country, they get experience, gain confidence, they learn from them and it encourages them, even the parents are also encouraged a vs the learners get motivated knowing they are appreciated in the community,” said Richard Munyao Head teacher Iyani Kivaa Primary School.
Kangundo AIC is a regular school with an H Unit integrated into the school. We have a healthy club that includes the regular learner and the learners from the Hearing-impaired Unit,” said Hellen Ndavi, Teacher Kangundo AIC HI School.