Hello readers!
I am now officially a volunteer with the Canadian and British organization, Voluntary Services Overseas (www.vsocan.org and www.vso.uk) and will be placed in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria, West Africa starting this October. My job will be to work with a team of educators in developing the Deaf school’s first ever Deaf Blind class. The number of uneducated Deaf Blind children in Nigeria is staggering, and the administrators in Birnin Kebbi want to make that change. So by hiring me to work with them, the Deaf Blind children have a chance now to be literate.
I am seeking donations to help me purchase several items such as large print and braille books for the school’s library; a visual stimulator kit for sighted people to try on to understand different kinds of blindnesses; technology equipment such as BrailleNote laptop, Braille Printer, and a Braille typewriter. All of these things are very, very expensive and could total up to around $8,000.
I also wanted to travel to other African countries on my time off to visit Deaf schools and persuade them to follow Birnin Kebbi School for the Deaf’s newly minted Deaf Blind curriculum (in which I will help pen). I can cover my own transportation costs, however, having a Support Service Provider or an Intervenor is very expensive – I would need to help pay for their transportation and lodging since they don’t receive a salary while guiding and interpreting for me on my travels.
Any donation you make will surely make these things happen, most importantly, happen for the Deaf Blind children of Birnin-Kebbi who will FINALLY get an education.
Please click on Paypal and make a difference.
My email address is tactiletheworld@ gmail.com .
6 Comments
October 11, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Hi Coco ….
As usual, I am “flabergasted” … you have soooo much talent that needs to be made public. As I’ve stated for many years now, you need to start writing articles for magazines and newspapers .. who knows, it would lead to your own column! This would be an excellent source of income and I know you would be successful .. you make reading very interesting .. just want to read more and more and more…
Love always,
Ev xoxo
October 22, 2007 at 7:31 am
Hi I am a parent of a deaf blind child in South africa where there is no help available and parent have to find information and books to help there children. i would greatly appreciate any material on how to actually work with a deaf blind child as my child wont cooperate and she is very bright but i havnt found a way to reach her. I need activites in all areas that we can try on her and see what works and hopefully create a programme for her. My daughter is five years old and was born three month premature and as a result of oxygen and antibiotics she is deaf blind. She has just received a cochlear implant since january and i am hopefull she will learn to talk. Here we dont have early intervention programmes or schooling although some schools are taking in deaf blind but dont know what to do with them. we have no facilitators or course to help parent in training to work with there children and therapiest also dont know what to do. please help me some sort of curriculum on how to work and motivate a deaf blind child as well as activites to do with her.
Thank you
December 15, 2007 at 2:59 pm
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
June 25, 2008 at 2:29 am
Hello Coco. Please contact me. I’d like to donate a few copies of Laura Fogg’s book (I added info to Books to Read) in hope it can help teachers there. Also, have you considered writing a book about your experience? I’m a publisher. My website is http://www.medusasmuse.com and we could talk about it more if you’re interested.
July 10, 2008 at 9:34 am
[...] Kothari. I’ve seen the donation concept on a number of websites, with people collecting for African causes, saving to buy women’s lingerie and even surgical procedures! I always pause to wonder how [...]
November 3, 2008 at 8:41 pm
You can use a site like http://www.microgiving.com as another avenue for donations.