Miss-Delectable
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Despite medical and technological advances, many communities in the world still lack access to comprehensive health information and medical care. This problem is even more pronounced for persons who have disabilities. Special needs communities are generally ignored by the mainstream HIV awareness . This include many deaf people who are ignored by traditional information sources such as radio and TV.
Many deaf people in Kenya and other developing countries, having been deprived of quality education, have also limited literacy. Since HIV education necessarily touches upon sex- and sexuality related issues, most hearing relatives or friends are too shy or inexperienced to explain the details of to a deaf person.
This is especially stressful for the deaf youth who are coping with puberty, growing up and trying to form an identity in a largely hearing world. Additionally, disabled people are frequently more vulnerable and therefore more likely to become victims of physical or sexual abuse. Without a proper HIV education, many youth are at risk of unprotected sex, which can often lead to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and HIV.
The Deaf Peers’ Education Manual, based on the activities of the Kenyan Peer Education Networks that were established in 3 Deaf Schools in Western Kenya by Sahaya International and GRACE-Africa, aims to provide such youth and adults, teachers, parents and guardians with a tool for addressing basic health awareness within an independent framework utilizing optimal communication. The activities are participatory/interactive, and are designed with and by deaf Kenyans fluent in Sign Language (SL), and acknowledge the use of other SL variations within the various deaf groups.
The three main issues addressed cover sexual education, relationships and hygiene. This manual is designed to blend with the school curriculums and co-curriculum activities, plus other issues that affect students while in school. It also befits other settings such as seminars and workshops, and can be used to tackle a specific subject.
The activities and sign language vocabulary, while developed in Kenya, can be adapted to fit the cultural context and needs of Deaf communities in other developing countries.
The current manual, which was launched in Nairobi on September 26 2007, is a first draft, which will be improved in the coming years based on feedback.
Despite medical and technological advances, many communities in the world still lack access to comprehensive health information and medical care. This problem is even more pronounced for persons who have disabilities. Special needs communities are generally ignored by the mainstream HIV awareness . This include many deaf people who are ignored by traditional information sources such as radio and TV.
Many deaf people in Kenya and other developing countries, having been deprived of quality education, have also limited literacy. Since HIV education necessarily touches upon sex- and sexuality related issues, most hearing relatives or friends are too shy or inexperienced to explain the details of to a deaf person.
This is especially stressful for the deaf youth who are coping with puberty, growing up and trying to form an identity in a largely hearing world. Additionally, disabled people are frequently more vulnerable and therefore more likely to become victims of physical or sexual abuse. Without a proper HIV education, many youth are at risk of unprotected sex, which can often lead to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and HIV.
The Deaf Peers’ Education Manual, based on the activities of the Kenyan Peer Education Networks that were established in 3 Deaf Schools in Western Kenya by Sahaya International and GRACE-Africa, aims to provide such youth and adults, teachers, parents and guardians with a tool for addressing basic health awareness within an independent framework utilizing optimal communication. The activities are participatory/interactive, and are designed with and by deaf Kenyans fluent in Sign Language (SL), and acknowledge the use of other SL variations within the various deaf groups.
The three main issues addressed cover sexual education, relationships and hygiene. This manual is designed to blend with the school curriculums and co-curriculum activities, plus other issues that affect students while in school. It also befits other settings such as seminars and workshops, and can be used to tackle a specific subject.
The activities and sign language vocabulary, while developed in Kenya, can be adapted to fit the cultural context and needs of Deaf communities in other developing countries.
The current manual, which was launched in Nairobi on September 26 2007, is a first draft, which will be improved in the coming years based on feedback.