Hope and resilience in quest for knowledge

This is a very moving story of Rose, a 26 year old Kenya lady with a story to tell. "My name is Rose. I come from a family of seven - five children and my Mum and Dad. Being the fourth born child and the last girl, my parents loved me so dearly," she begins.

"When I turned eight I fell ill with mumps. I woke up one morning and everything seemed quieter. I had gone to school as usual and was playing with my friends but they kept complaining that I was ignoring them. That’s when I noticed that the sound of my friends’ voices began to grow faint. Eventually, I couldn’t hear anything at all! When I told my mother, like every good mother, I was rushed to every hospital she knew. At each hospital we went to, the response was always the same, I am sorry we cannot help your daughter.

"Hers is a case of permanent deafness" the doctors said. In a last desperate attempt, my mother took me to the national referral hospital in Nairobi but even there, the prognosis was the same. In despair my mother gave up.

"After a year of my parents looking for ways to help me so they took me to one of CBM’s partners, Kerugoya School for the Deaf . This was a whole new world! A world I learned quickly to embrace. I met children were exactly like me. In just six months, I had learned to communicate fluently in sign language.

"I started to make friends again. I was encouraged to take control of my world. My hope was renewed and my smile restored. Most of all, the teachers inspired me to become the person I am today. One of my best memories is competing in lawn tennis up to the national championship level at university. This is because of the love and support I received from my family, my friends and my teachers. I believe I can do anything just as I am.

"When I completed my high school education I qualified for a place in one of the national universities to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Education, Christian Religious Studies, History, Guidance and Counselling.

"I faced challenges in University.I felt isolated especially during my first year in campus. Many students have never met deaf people before hence they did not know how to communicate with me. I did not have many friends. The lectures were not trained in sign language, but because I am able to read and write I borrowed notes from my classmates after sessions. 

"Some months into my first semester my room mate took it upon herself to learn sign language. She became my interpreter in class presentations and group discussions. She gave me a voice, through which others’ attitudes towards me changed. By the end of my first year I had several friends. Excelling in school took pure determination. I found that many people had a negative attitude towards me for being different; students and lecturers would say I will not make it beyond first year. I did the best I could to prove them wrong.

"At the end of four years, I graduated in 2009 from Moi University, Eldoret Campus with an Upper Second Class Honours degree. I was only two points shy of First Class Honours. I celebrate the legacy of being the first ever hearing impaired girl to have been awarded a degree in Kenya while having attended schools for the deaf at both primary and secondary levels followed by integration at a public university. Currently I am in the final semester of study towards my Masters Degree in Entrepreneurship Development at University of Nairobi.


"Now, I meet young people who are deaf like me, and talk to them to let them know they too can be successful. I dream to see more deaf people, especially ladies, enter the University to pursue higher education opportunities. I also desire to see more advocacy for the rights of persons with disability. This desire forged my path to CBM.

"Currently, I am working as an Assistant Inclusive Officer at the CBM East Africa Regional Office in Nairobi. I am also in a 'mentorship' programme that visits Schools for the Deaf to give motivational talks. Lastly, I volunteer with Kenya National Association of the Deaf organizing committee to plan the International Deaf Awareness week (every year since 2009).
 My greatest desire is to advocate for the rights of people who are deaf, having walked the same journey myself. "



Reference : CBM