Read for Rose Special Education Program Extends Inclusive Learning to Parents
By Annabel Mumba
Annabel Mumba is AEP’s Donor Relations Coordinator in Zambia. She is a Scholarship Fund recipient, high school graduate, and also one of our Success Stories.
Co-written by Pamela O’Brien, AEP’s Development Director, who is mentoring Annabel as she pursues a journalism degree.
The Read for Rose Special Education Program has continued to expand its holistic approach in its programs and activities with the children and the families that it serves. Febby Choombe, Director of Special Education, recently started a brand new program that will open the communication barrier that exists in the homes of families with children who are living with a speech and hearing impairment. This new program will provide sign language classes for the parents who want to learn how to communicate with their children more effectively.
I had an opportunity to sit down with Febby and her assistant, Annie, to find out why they started this class in the first place. I also had a chance to interview five women who are mothers to the boys and girls who attend Read for Rose.
The Read for Rose Special Education Program now has a total number of 21 enrolled and registered students of which nine students have speech and hearing challenges. Since its introduction last month, the sign language class has recorded much progress and the class has become popular among the families. They look forward to gathering each week for lessons.
The teachers have taken an interactive approach in their teachings to encourage participation and foster effective learning. One challenge that Teacher Febby quickly noticed is that the mothers who are attending these classes are not proficient in basic numeracy and literacy. To solve that challenge she is taking a slower pace in delivering the classes.
The class is expected to take about a year for the parents to become proficient in basic sign language. From the first five classes that have been recorded so far, they have covered the foundation of sign language and basic counting, the alphabet, color patterns, basic introductions and spellings of common words.
Febby shared why this class is important to her and the children, “For a very long time I have been the bridge of communication between these children and their families. Every time a child communicates something to the guardians and they don’t understand, they would call me to interpret. Most of these times were delicate in nature and there was an emergency with a child who was critically sick. No one was able to understand what was wrong with the child. I remember one time when I received a call at 21:30 to rush to the hospital because my student with a speech and hearing impairment was suddenly hospitalized. The challenge at hand was that neither the parents nor the doctors understood what she was feeling so I had to be there to communicate for her. It was at that moment I realized how critical it was for people to learn sign language and for them to stop relying on me for communication.”
Febby Choombe, Director of Special Education, shares an informative video to her students’ parents.
Mwila and her daughter, Janet.
An episode of sudden miscommunication is not the only one that has occurred and caused a communication barrier. Every single day is a challenge when parents are unable to interpret what their child is saying to them. The only form of communication that they are accustomed to is seeing their child point, nod, or cry for something as a way of speaking to them.
Mwila is mother to 11–year old Janet, a speech and hearing impaired student who has been a part of the Read for Rose Special Education Program since 2019. Mwila expressed with joy how much she has learned from the class and how she is putting it to good use.
“I am enjoying the classes and I have made sure not to miss a single class. I have learned how to count and finger spell. I now know how to spell Janet’s name and she has learned how to sign mine. I can see how happy she is to learn that I know her name and she knows mine. In the past we could simply point out what we both wanted to communicate. Now, every day when I wake up I greet her using sign language and find out how she is doing the correct way and that is helping and making us both happy.”
Mwila wishes to be able to hold endless conversations once she fully learns the language. On the other hand, Janet is very happy that her mother is learning sign language. “I am very happy that when I wake up I greet my mother and also that I can sign her name,” she shared.
Janet’s mother is not the only one learning sign language in the family. She is making sure to teach everyone at home everything she learns during class.
Pricilla and her daughter, Sekela
Pricilla and her daughter, Sekela, are also enjoying the classes. Sekela is neither hearing nor speech impaired but both her and her mother have taken interest in the class for one special reason, her friends have an impairment and she would like to communicate with them. The mother and daughter duo are taking up the class as a noble cause. Every single day Janet, Susan and Catherine, her friends with an impairment, visit her to play. Sekela’s mother decided to learn sign language so that she can communicate with them effectively.
“I developed the interest because of her friends. Many times if they shared something Sekela would translate what they said and I didn’t like that. When I was told that there would be a class I decided to join in. Now when they come over, I greet them and I understand when they ask for water or food. I am also learning sign language because I know other people with similar impairments at church and in the community. I am enjoying this class so much.”
Assistant teacher, Annie, has been passionately teaching the parents and shared of their interest to learn. “They really want to learn sign language and I am happy that I am able to teach it to them. I see them practicing when they learn something new and it makes me so happy!” she shared.
Annie further expressed her desire for families to become independent in their communication. Just like Febby, Annie also had instances when parents approached her to explain what was being communicated. “Their motivation to learn drives me all the time,” Annie shared.
Christine is a cook for the Read for Rose Special Education Program and also the mother to one of the children in the program, Linda. She has been cooking nutritious meals for the kids since its inception. She describes the classes as insightful and they are teaching her everything she needs to know to converse with them. “I spend my entire day with the children. If they need food or water, they come to me. I needed to learn the basics so that I could understand them.”
Gertrude has three children who are speech and hearing impaired. Her youngest, 6-year-old Catherine, comes to Read for Rose on a daily basis, however, her other two children are sponsored by Child Fund Zambia and attend special education boarding schools far from home. Her eldest, Maxwell, is in grade 9, and Janet is in grade 8. They get to attend Read for Rose whenever they are home on holidays. Gertrude is happy to learn sign language and hopes that the class will help her to hold meaningful conversations with her children. When the two older children are home they have tried teaching basic sign language, but she could not grasp the concept. After attending the first few classes at Read for Rose, she is now confident in her ability to communicate with her children.
Chilufya is new to the Read for Rose Special Education Program. At only 6-years-old, you can tell he is very bright. His mother has been attending the classes whenever she finds a chance. Her child is attending Twatsha Special Community School and comes to Read for Rose after school. She shared that she is glad that she has started the classes and that the classes are helping her to learn her son’s language.
The Read for Rose Special Education Program believes in the holistic development not only for the children it serves but for the entire family. We are so excited for the parents in the class who are taking charge of their future and learning new skills. We look forward to hearing more successful stories as the class progresses.