Democratic Republic of Congo
The local teacher training center, called Village Bondago, will accept Congolese Deaf adults and train them to become certified teachers. GDC held stakeholder meetings with members of the Deaf community in Kinshasa to create a plan supporting Deaf Congolese to become teachers.
PAST
In 2002, a GDC/Silent Cooperative Center for the Deaf partnership began. GDC provided leadership development to strengthen school management. The Global Fund for Children supported ideas in Deaf appropriate teaching techniques to reinforce elementary education at the school. 30 pre-school and elementary Deaf students are in attendance each day.
PRESENT
Support was received from the USAID Africa Education Initiative. 10 Deaf adults are being tutored through sign language interpreters in 6 academic areas to prepare for the 2006 national high school exam.
FUTURE
The Deaf adults will attenda teacher training center to become teachers. Deaf SCCD students will continue studying at official Congolese schools for Deaf children, where they will await their newly educated Deaf teachers to enrich their academic experience. Imagine Deaf certified teachers gaining steady employment teaching in one of the DRC's 11 Deaf schools, and motivating Deaf Congolese students to achieve academically so they can do the same!