Greetings,
My name is Joshua Josa and I am currently a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Kenya as an educator of the deaf. I are writing to inform you about the 2011 World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) World Congress conference in Durban, South Africa. It is to be held 18-24 July of this year. This is the 16th conference of its kind and it is only held once every four years. This is the first time it has come to the African continent and is an exciting time for the Deaf in the developing world!

If you are not familiar with the World Federation of the Deaf, it is an international, non-governmental organization representing almost 70 million Deaf people worldwide. One of their main goals is to promote human rights of Deaf people especially those in the developing world. They focus on the right to use sign language, equal opportunity in all aspects of life, including access to education and information. WFD works with the aim of solidarity and unity to make the world a better place.

This is a unique opportunity for people in Africa to be exposed to positive attitudes about the Deaf as well as to have the opportunity to meet successful, accomplished, and motivated individuals in the Deaf world. Please take a look at www.wfd2011.com for more information about the organization and conference.

Kenya’s new Constitution recently included Kenyan Sign language as its third official language! However, it is still not widely practiced in the educational settings. Deaf education is being increasingly discussed on a daily basis and the WFD’s World Congress conference arriving on the African continent for the first time is history in the making. This is a crucial time for the Deaf in the developing world and we are committed to being part of the change.

I have set a goal to attend the above-mentioned conference in July, along with another Peace Corps volunteer named Noelle Opsahl whom will be bringing a teacher from her own school. The Peace Corps has warned us to think carefully about the kinds of projects and proposals we suggest for our schools and to keep in mind the importance of sustainability. Money will simply be spent and then the schools are left with nothing after our two-year service is completed. There is nothing more sustainable than educating and motivating the people who spend their lives in the deaf Kenyan school systems! They in turn will share their knowledge with colleagues and supervisors. They will also be inspired to teach differently and will look at their commitment to Deaf children in a new light. Noëlle and I have invited one Kenyan educator from each of our schools for the deaf to afford them the possibility of experiencing the conference for themselves. This will surely make an impact on them and eventually on the deaf Kenyan school systems.

To make this once in a lifetime opportunity a reality,  I am avidly raising the necessary funds for airfare, room, board, and conference registration fees for two people. To cover the necessary expenses, my goal is to raise $4,500 in funds. The total in the flyer is for $9,000 which will be for 4 people since Noelle and I are running this project together. Being a Peace Corps Volunteer, I am working with very limited resources. I kindly ask for your assistance in making this possible. My main goal is for our Kenyan counterparts to experience the richness of sign language and Deaf culture hrough their own eyes. I could simply attend the conference on my own, but my bringing the information back to Kenya would surely not be enough of an impact to commence change. Upon my return, I will work diligently with my Kenyan counterpart to create presentation materials to disseminate information learned from the conference to other schools for the deaf in Kenya.

This will only be the beginning for Kenyan educators. Once the seed has been planted, the knowledge spread throughout Kenya would grant a fresh perspective on teaching this unique linguistic minority and provide the deaf children with a shining new outlook on their future. If you are interested in contributing towards this cause, visit the following weblink: https://www.paypal.com/ke/cgi-bin/webscr? cmd=_flow&SESSION=gAc1vjn8gbKPlD-KzsrTLa62AEUA3W8Ote8FJfM816pQZ Cc6KghpxSsdDdK&dispatch= 5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee 8d61ec37c409b56235bed2ddf64505aee9 Whatever contribution you decide to make will be greatly appreciated. Please forward this to whoever else you may think would be supportive of this. If you would like to get more information, feel free to contact me at josh87j@gmail.com.

Asante Sana. (Thank you very much.)