Life-skills Training for the Deaf Community in 4 states (Ilorin, Gombe, Lafia and FCT)

Life Skills for the Training of  Deaf communities is a strategic approach for empowering the deaf with knowledge that would keep them self-employed. There were five (5) Life – Skills training for different  Deaf groups.

Abuja – FCT Life – Skills Training

Two trainings were organized in Abuja, FCT.

The first training was organized on 5^th of August 2017 for both men and women deaf people while the second training was also held in Abuja on 22^nd August 2017 and it was mainly for deaf women. Both trainings were on the skills for surviving the challenges of life. The objective of the trainings was to provide skills about life that could make living a lot easier for people by especially working on mindset. At both training events, there were video clips on causes of deafness, its symptoms, deafness management and deaf daily activities. There were also power-point presentations on sex education, marriage counseling and parenting in deaf families. A total number of 192 deaf attended the trainings.

Gombe – Gombe State Life – Skills Training

On the 6^th and 7^th of December, 2017 MESH organized a similar training at the ETF Education Resource Centre, Station Dukku in Gombe. There were 130 participants some dignitaries such as the National President for the deaf in Nigeria, Mallam Ishiaku Adamu and the Gombe State chapter of Joint Association of Person Living with Disability (JONAPWD) that was represented by Hon Aligoro.

Ilorin – Kwara State Life – Skills Training

MESH held a 2-day training for the Muslim Deaf in Ilorin on 4^th and 5^th of October 2017. A total of ninety (90) participants attended the training. The objective of the training was to teach the deaf about survival strategy and coping with life challenges.

Lafia – Nasarawa State Life – Skills Training

The last training was held in Lafia on 1^st and 2^nd February 2018. It was also for the deaf community in Nasarawa State. There were 60 students mobilized from the Secondary School for Special Needs Education and 46 non-students in the training. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Gender and Disability Matters, Dr. (Hon) Hajarat Danyaro Ibrahim, gave a goodwill message and formally opened the training. Soon after the training, a proposal was prepared on behalf of the Nasarawa State Deaf Association and submitted to the Nasarawa Government with the hope of getting funds to organize more training in the State, offer vocational training and increase access to healthcare information by engaging sign interpreters at the government health facilities.