An awkward volunteer

Welcome to the Koforidua School for the Deaf.  Deciding to volunteer at this school had its huge risk factor. I had little savings, no plan, I wasn't sure what to expect, and all that made me very nervous.


My first impression of Koforidua was how quiet and laid back the town felt. It was very different from the fast-paced, noisy Accra feel. I remember that anxious feeling as I approached my new school; what if the kids hate me or other teachers don't want me around,  maybe my sign language won't be good enough...and it wasn't, my signing was terrible!


But I approached the school and fell in love. From that welcome smile from the guys at the security post, and those random waves from the children in their classrooms as I walked past, for a moment I didn't care anymore, this just felt right.

I remember thinking out loud..."this is going to be my home for the next year, and it is going to be awesome."  
 









I taught English  at the junior high level to these amazing kids and helped out in most of the other classes and it was an amazing experience, I made really good friends and had the best moments. However, I could not help getting emotional about the sort of "existence" my students live in. I heard their stories and felt their sadness. Stories about how some parents felt ashamed of their existence was a common theme. One of my saddest moment was during circle time.  I had asked my kids about their dreams and aspirations in life and this was supposed to be a fun topic about choosing careers, but that night I couldn't sleep. My lovely kids had no drive. The thing is they have been brought up to believe they wont make it. Their deafness meant that life had nothing to offer them, and I don't blame them, my society is ruthless. Maybe that was why their education meant very little to them; my kids couldn't read and write and that really bothered me.

The love I have for these kids is beyond any emotion I have ever felt. I went to Koforidua with the idea of helping a group of deaf children get better, I ended up being the one that needed them. They showed me how to love without limits, how to give without expecting anything back and how to accept without boundary and these lessons will be with me forever.


Leaving my kids was really difficult but my voluntary period was over and I had run out of money. I needed to find a new job really quickly and I remember praying that I get offered my present job teaching my children. That never happened.

I however felt a huge responsibility to make a change and this is how I decided to start the project for the first social place for deaf children in Accra. This project will give these children a place to learn in a loving environment but most importantly, offer a place where these kids can dream, because really, nobody should ever be denied the ability to live.