Sense International helps deafblind people in less developed countries to communicate, connect, interact and flourish
Sense International provides specialist training, information and support to ensure that every person living with deafblindness can achieve their full potential
We are Sense International
Sense International works in partnership to provide services and raise awareness of the needs of deafblind people and their families so they can connect, participate and contribute to their communities.
East Africa
© Oliver Edwards 2008
Sense International transforms lives. Find out about our work with deafblind children in East Africa in this subtitled video.
Sense International has been supporting programmes in East Africa since 2003. Through our partners we have identified 1,042 deafblind people in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and are currently providing them with support and advice. We have also brought parents together and helped them to advocate for specialised health and education services.
We are currently working with 11 local organisations, training 100 community based workers to provide home-based support for over 300 deafblind children. We have trained teachers and equipped specialised units, thereby enabling 160 deafblind children to develop their talents in 16 schools across the three countries. We have also established a model education unit in Uganda to act as a Centre of Excellence that can be replicated by the government and by other organisations.
The Association of Uganda Parents of Deafblind Children has been so successful that they have now established their own home-based services for deafblind children.
In Tanzania the European Commission and Jersey Overseas Aid Commission are supporting a project focused on inclusive education. This project will ensure that 70 deafblind and multi-sensory impaired (MSI) children, together with their families, benefit from appropriate and quality education (as is their right according to Tanzanian law). In order to make this a reality, the project aims to train a range of governmental and non-governmental professionals including 70 special needs teachers to work directly with deafblind/MSI children in special education units.
Since April 2010, we have begun a regional project supported by the European Commission which aims to strengthen and develop our community-based work as well as the advocacy efforts of four representative associations. This will enable 600 deafblind/MSI children and young adults to gain access to quality and appropriate services provided by our partners.
In addition to these two principal projects we are also currently supporting the development of quality education services in Kenya and Uganda through teacher training programmes and the introduction of model special education units.
Supported by:
visit the European Commission (EC) website
visit the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission website
visit the Stavros Niarchos Foundation website