November 05, 2009
By Amy Morrison, Staff Writer
When Sam Kateu receives the World of Children Humanitarian award today, November 5, 2009, in New York it will be one of many firsts of the last week for the founder of the Kavule Parents School for the Deaf. From the first time traveling outside of his home country of Uganda, to wearing his first pair of new shoes, Kateu will have negotiated a range of experiences and overcome significant obstacles to reach this moment of recognition.
Kateu’s journey started several years ago when an automobile accident caused the loss of his left leg and changed the course of his life. Immersing himself in working for the rights and education of people with disabilities, Kateu soon found himself drawn particularly to young deaf children in rural Uganda.
Cut off from resources that larger cities offer, deaf children born in rural parts of the country are often shunned and left to perform the daily, menial work of the family. Because of their disability, these children become increasingly isolated from their peers and family members, essentially trapped in a world of limited communication and opportunity.
Giving these kids a chance to be educated, says Sam Kateu, changes everything.
A little more than 10 years ago, with meager resources, Kateu started a school for deaf children out of his own home. Two sign language teachers volunteered their time and eight children travelled every day from their homes for lessons. Partnerships with British organizations over the next several years led to the building of a classroom, pit latrines and a small kitchen, as well as providing access to electricity.
The Kavule Parents School for the Deaf has now grown into a thriving boarding school with 63 students currently attending. The food is simple, water must still be fetched daily from a community well and at night the children sleep in dormitory bunks that are surrounded by mosquito netting. But the education the students receive, as well as training in practical job skills, such as carpentry and tailoring, offer these children a chance at a future with meaningful work.
Much of Kateu’s work today involves helping parents become aware of the importance of education for their children with hearing loss. Coming up with the school fees is often a major obstacle for families, so Kateu also spends much of his time raising funds for the students whose parents are not able to pay what amounts to $450 a year for room, board and tuition. Once a child is enrolled in the Kavule school, the parents are also given the opportunity to learn sign language.
Because of Sam Kateu, more and more families are being educated about the possibilities open to their deaf children, and the Kavule Parents School for the Deaf continues to grow. In the near future Kateu hopes to expand the classrooms, update the carpentry workshop and eventually open a secondary school on the same grounds as the current school. For now, once students complete their studies at Kavule, their only option for further education is to travel to Uganda’s capital city of Kampala and train at a vocational school for the deaf.
Today in New York, Kateu will be one of six individuals receiving an award from World of Children, a nonprofit organization that works to recognize and assist change-makers around the world who are benefiting the lives of children. With the grant money he is also receiving, Kateu will be able to make some desperately needed improvements at the school -- from the drilling of well on school grounds, to construction of a fence around the school property for added protection.
The World of Children grant will also fund a resource center with a library, AIDS awareness materials and computers. Plans are in the works to one day be able to access the Internet. Children who were once hidden away and shunned for their disability will soon have the world at their fingertips.
And that will be another first, among hopefully many more firsts, for Sam Kateu and the students at Kavule Parents School for the Deaf.
Sam Kateu Receives World of Children Humanitarian Award
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When Sam Kateu receives the World of Children Humanitarian award today, November 5, 2009, in New York it will be one of many firsts of the last week for the founder of the Kavule Parents School for the Deaf. From the first time traveling outside of his home country of Uganda, to wearing his first pair of new shoes, Kateu will have negotiated a range of experiences and overcome significant obstacles to reach this moment of recognition.
Kateu’s journey started several years ago when an automobile accident caused the loss of his left leg and changed the course of his life. Immersing himself in working for the rights and education of people with disabilities, Kateu soon found himself drawn particularly to young deaf children in rural Uganda.
Cut off from resources that larger cities offer, deaf children born in rural parts of the country are often shunned and left to perform the daily, menial work of the family. Because of their disability, these children become increasingly isolated from their peers and family members, essentially trapped in a world of limited communication and opportunity.
Giving these kids a chance to be educated, says Sam Kateu, changes everything.
A little more than 10 years ago, with meager resources, Kateu started a school for deaf children out of his own home. Two sign language teachers volunteered their time and eight children travelled every day from their homes for lessons. Partnerships with British organizations over the next several years led to the building of a classroom, pit latrines and a small kitchen, as well as providing access to electricity.
The Kavule Parents School for the Deaf has now grown into a thriving boarding school with 63 students currently attending. The food is simple, water must still be fetched daily from a community well and at night the children sleep in dormitory bunks that are surrounded by mosquito netting. But the education the students receive, as well as training in practical job skills, such as carpentry and tailoring, offer these children a chance at a future with meaningful work.
Much of Kateu’s work today involves helping parents become aware of the importance of education for their children with hearing loss. Coming up with the school fees is often a major obstacle for families, so Kateu also spends much of his time raising funds for the students whose parents are not able to pay what amounts to $450 a year for room, board and tuition. Once a child is enrolled in the Kavule school, the parents are also given the opportunity to learn sign language.
Because of Sam Kateu, more and more families are being educated about the possibilities open to their deaf children, and the Kavule Parents School for the Deaf continues to grow. In the near future Kateu hopes to expand the classrooms, update the carpentry workshop and eventually open a secondary school on the same grounds as the current school. For now, once students complete their studies at Kavule, their only option for further education is to travel to Uganda’s capital city of Kampala and train at a vocational school for the deaf.
Today in New York, Kateu will be one of six individuals receiving an award from World of Children, a nonprofit organization that works to recognize and assist change-makers around the world who are benefiting the lives of children. With the grant money he is also receiving, Kateu will be able to make some desperately needed improvements at the school -- from the drilling of well on school grounds, to construction of a fence around the school property for added protection.
The World of Children grant will also fund a resource center with a library, AIDS awareness materials and computers. Plans are in the works to one day be able to access the Internet. Children who were once hidden away and shunned for their disability will soon have the world at their fingertips.
And that will be another first, among hopefully many more firsts, for Sam Kateu and the students at Kavule Parents School for the Deaf.
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