“There Are D/HH People in America?" The Experiences of Two D/HH Peace Corps Volunteers in Keny
Allison Rice and Frank Lester departed for Kenya to make a difference as Peace Corps volunteers by educating Kenyans on HIV/AIDS and developing education and literacy programs. They are just like other Peace Corps volunteers except for one thing – they are both Deaf.
Learning a New Language
Similar to other Peace Corps volunteers, Rice and Lester had to learn an entirely new language, in their case Kenyan Sign Language (KSL). KSL is a communication form very different than the American Sign Language that they grew up with.
Lester notes, “The Deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) world has always had a communication system which is visual and gestural based. However, this does not mean that sign language is universal and that if you learn one sign language you can communicate with every D/HH person in the world.”
Learning KSL was key for success – and not just for Peace Corps volunteers. When the Peace Corps first started the D/HH Education Program, materials on KSL were scarce, making it very hard for Kenyan parents to communicate with their D/HH children. Peace Corps volunteers have led the way in developing resources and making the language more accessible for students and parents, as well as health and education professionals.
Overcoming Obstacles
Growing up in the United States, both Rice and Lester overcame the obstacles of being nonhearing persons in a hearing world. Despite the challenges, they had equal rights and were perceived as active members in American society, a way of life they no longer take for granted.
In Kenya, the situation for D/HH people is anything but accomodating. “I tell them about how D/HH Americans live, work, play and go to secondary schools, colleges and universities,” writes Lester. “Especially the children are amazed that I could drive, travel, have my own home and live independently.”
Many Kenyans are surprised to meet a D/HH American because it contrasts so sharply with their stereotypes of America as the “Land of Opportunity.” Rice says that upon first meeting, it’s not uncommon for a stranger to remark, “I didn’t know there were D/HH Americans.”
The volunteers also encountered some of what D/HH Kenyans face. Rice writes, “I was not prepared for the occasional snickering, ‘Bubu! Bubu!’ (Kiswahili for ‘a dumb person’). I thought that term had gone out of date.”
The ability to confront and defy negative labels and expectations is what makes Peace Corps volunteers like Rice and Lester so valuable – they are stereotype breakers.
HIV/AIDS Education
Lester works in Peace Corps’ Kenyan Deaf Education Program. One of the goals of the program is to develop HIV/AIDS awareness within the D/HH community. Because D/HH Kenyans are often stereotyped as cursed, useless or incapable, they have regrettably been overlooked in the past when it came to HIV/AIDS education. Additionally, there is the challenge of tailoring programs to reach this target group of KSL users.
To increase awareness and mark the importance of HIV/AIDS for the D/HH community, Lester teamed up with hearing Peace Corps volunteers to produce interactive HIV/AIDS resources and a video for the D/HH community using KSL.
Lester is also working to connect the D/HH community to HIV/AIDS and health resources by educating their families and service providers. Lester provides KSL daily lessons to a counselor from the district hospital’s HIV testing center. This service provider has a large number of D/HH patients and is now able to more effectively communicate with them.
Literacy
Literacy and education is one major obstacle that many Kenyans currently face, and D/HH Kenyans in particular. Literacy is a way to bridge the gap between those who talk and those who sign, and to enable D/HH individuals to better integrate into their communities and be recognized as contributing citizens.
Rice’s project focuses on encouraging elder daughters of rural families to help their younger siblings with their reading and writing skills. Her hope is that family support will encourage rural kids to view literacy as entertainment as well as a component of social worth.
“When I was young, reading children’s books was my favorite pastime and I was able to expand my knowledge about the world,” said Rice. “It is something I wanted to share among undereducated kids in Kenya.”
The Program
Since its inception in 1995, the Peace Corps’ Deaf Education Program in Kenya has grown and currently works with a variety of D/HH schools across the country. Volunteers are earning respect for their significant contributions toward improving education and raising community awareness for the needs of the D/HH.
Over 4,810 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Kenya since 1964 and Kenya remains one of the largest Peace Corps programs in Africa with 183 volunteers currently serving. Volunteers strive to improve the nation in four main areas: business development, education, the environment and HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness.
The Peace Corps is in its 46th year of service at home and abroad. Currently, there are 8,000 volunteers abroad, a 37-year high for volunteers in the field. Since 1961, more than 190,000 volunteers have helped promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of the 139 countries where they have served. To learn more about the Peace Corps or apply to become a Peace Corps volunteer, visit www.peacecorps.gov or call 800.424.8580.
