And so the adventure begins

So for those who think Peace Corps is a 2 year vacation, think again.

During my 2 yrs of service, I will be working as a Deaf educator and a Behavior Change Communicator. As a Volunteer, my goal is to facilitate persons with special learning needs to be able to function as productively and independently as possible in their communities and families. Unfortunately, Kenya does not share the same views as America when it comes to people with disabilities. Their views are similar to those America had in the 1940's-1950's. Although Kenya has a population of deaf people, they do not have a deaf "community." Students who are deaf are way behind the students who aren't. They usually have a 4th-5th grade reading level and have low test scores on National exams. Low test scores are perceived as student inability not instructional failure. They rarely go on to secondary school. Only 24 deaf students per year have the opportunity to attend secondary school and far fewer attend vocational training programs. Many deaf children remain at home without skills necessary for productive employment and end up living a very isolated existence. That's where the Peace Corps volunteers come in.
My job as a Deaf Educator consists of preparing the students for the National Exam. However, I am also there for the teachers. Most teachers have limited signing skills and have run out of ideas on how to teach the students. So I’m sort of like a breath of fresh air for the teachers. I help the teachers by thinking up new ways to teach the students and help them improve the communication between student and teacher. As an educator, my job is not only to help the students but the community as well. Although Kenya has a deaf population, they don't have a deaf community. So while I’m preparing the students for their examinations, I’m also preparing them for a life in the community. I am teaching them life skills that will allow them to become part of their community. But it's a two way street. The communication between people who are deaf and the rest of the community is limited. So my job is to help bridge that gap, showing the community that these students can be productive members in society.
Radio is the main way news gets around. This is also the chosen media for prevention campaigns for HIV/AIDS. You can see the problem, right? Little effort has been made to produce training documents or information materials regarding health issues like HIV/AIDS to the deaf population. So as a result, my job as a behavioral change communicator is to develop HIV/AIDS communication messages using Kenyan Sign Language so the people who are deaf can be educated as well.

So now that you know a little of what I will be doing, I’m asking you to please stay in touch with me and encourage me while I’m gone because I certainly will need it.