Deaf young Caterham man Levi Choutan, 19, has returned home after spending three months fighting for deaf people’s rights in rural Kenya, where half the population live below the poverty line and deafness is seen often as a “curse” or a “punishment from God”.

Since July, Levi has been living and working in Nandi County, a rural area six hours north west of the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Poverty and prejudice mean deaf children in Nandi are often ignored and receive little support at school. Deafness is a source of shame for the family and many parents don’t know any Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) to communicate properly with their own children.

 Levi travelled to Kenya to work to change this, as part of a unique project run by international development organisation VSO and Deaf charity Deafway, through the UK Government funded International Citizen Service (ICS) programme.

 Levi ran sessions for parents of deaf children, teaching them much needed sign language - meaning that some could have a full conversation with their child for the first time - and helping them access support for their children.

 Alongside his 9 British and 11 Kenyan co-volunteer who are also deaf, Levi also helped stage a deaf awareness march on 16^th September which brought around 100 deaf and hearing people together from all over Nandi, to fight for the rights of deaf people and bring an end to the discrimination.

 In total, volunteers taught 450 local community members Kenyan Sign Language and registered 35 previously unidentified deaf children and young people to receive support from the Kenyan Government’s National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD). Despite Kenya’s deaf population numbering almost 190,000, many deaf people are not registered to receive the support they need.

 Levi said:

“Before we arrived in Nandi, deaf people and hearing people didn’t work together at all, there was no communication. Deaf people were left at home and considered to be stupid, which is just wrong. There’s so much support available to deaf people in the UK, whereas in Nandi there’s nothing.

 “We’ve been working really hard to help deaf people in Nandi to integrate with the rest of the community and raise awareness of the issues facing them. Even just having deaf volunteers in the community has made a huge difference. Lots of community members were surprised to find out we were at university, or had jobs, and us being here has shown them deaf people can do anything.

 “Coming to Kenya has made me realise I need to make the most of the opportunities in the UK, because in Kenya they’re so limited but people really grab them. I hope that the project shows deaf people in the UK that they can volunteer and make an impact to the lives of people in other countries.”

 Felicity Morgan, Director of ICS at VSO, said:

“We’re immensely proud of the work our volunteers have been doing in Kenya. Being deaf in Nandi could easily mean a life of isolation, unemployment and poverty – but this needn’t be the case. It is inspiring to hear that, with the volunteers’ help, the deaf community in Nandi are supporting each other, increasing their confidence and speaking out for their rights.

 “Our volunteers are living proof that young people can make a hugely positive impact on communities in some of the poorest parts of the world, and we’re passionate about making ICS accessible to as many young people as possible. We welcome applications from anyone aged 18-25 who wants to tackle poverty and inequality around the world.”

 ICS allows all young people aged 18-25 to contribute to sustainable development projects tackling poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America. VSO and Deafway partnered to create a bespoke ICS programme which offers d/Deaf young adults the opportunity to fight poverty and inequality through volunteering.

 Based in Lancashire, Deafway have links with the Deaf community worldwide and have a strong track record of working with the Nepalese and Ugandan Deaf community to improve conditions for Deaf people in vulnerable situations. At the centre of Deafway’s work is an understanding of and respect for sign language, the Deaf community and Deaf culture. Deafway have partnered with VSO to create a bespoke ICS programme which offers Deaf young adults the same opportunities as hearing young adults.

 To find out more about ICS or to apply, visit www.volunteerics.org. To find out more about Deafway, visit http://www.deafway.org.uk/.