Our History

In January 2012 Tino Kastilan traveled to Shimoni for a kite surfing vacation. Wanting to make his trip more than just a vacation, he asked Hamisi, a local man from the nearby village, to take him where he felt the need was the greatest. Jumping on the back of a motorbike, they drove through the the village to Kichakamkwaju Unit for the Deaf.

 

The current state of this underdeveloped school unit left an impression beyond words. The students had one bowl of thin bean soup and drinking water that was taken from the nearby well without any treatment to make it safe. The actual school building only had 3 rooms with no sanitary facilities to use during the day.

 

Nassir, the teacher in charge, was responsible for the deaf unit as a government trained teacher. Nassir wore many hats, playing the role of a teacher, social worker, counselor, representative for the deaf unit, and health care provider. There was only one other government employed teacher, one volunteer from the community and another volunteer from Peace Corps named Jocelyn Young-Hyman.

 

These young kids had no dormitory and traveled from too far to go back home everyday. This meant Nassir was forced to rent a room in the village a mile away and the children were forced to take care of themselves as there were not enough funds left over to pay for a house mom. Daily costs for meals, clothes, the volunteer teacher and other resources were all from sponsors and donations that Nassir managed to find.

 

Tino and Hamisi watched as teachers struggled to share classrooms and teach multiple subjects and age levels at the same time. Something had to be done. That day he left with Hamisi and purchased enough for a hearty meal to eat together. It turned into a day full of food, laughter and joy that deeply moved him.

 

This day was when Tino’s vision for the deaf children of Shimoni began.

 

He discussed and planned for a monthly feeding program with Nassir and Jocelyn. Documents were created to ensure all systems were set in place for the children to receive breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. He then traveled back home to Düsseldorf, Germany. In the months that followed, Tino gave generously from his own pocket to ensure every child received proper nutrition while at school.

 

In September of 2013 Tino returned with a dear friend, Sandra Christmann, to an incredible welcoming ceremony full of dancing, laughter, food and good conversation. Nassir was excited to explain that Tino’s food program had supported bringing more deaf children to join! Many of them had traveled hundreds of miles to attend school.

 

The Deaf in Kenya are largely left on their own. Rarely do the parents, relatives and friends know any Kenyan Sign Language. Many communities views Deafness as a curse by the family and therefore many are hidden in their homes and never go to school. The waiting list for admittance into the Kichakamkwaju Unit for the Deaf is long. It is the only education for miles, one of the few options in the entire country.

 

Tino and Sandra went back to Germany once again, swirling with ideas to continue the progress.

 

In August of 2014 Aid Kenya Watoto e.V. was registered in Germany as an official organization to support the Deaf around Shimoni.

 

In 2015 through the efforts of Nassir, Kichakamkwaju, the local community, the exising primary school Kidimu, and donors, 10 acres of land were donated to build a designated school. Aid Kenya Watoto brought on a volunteer project coordinator, Anna Berngard, who had previously served in the Peace Corps Deaf Education Sector of Kenya. Her main role was to facilitate the growth and development of the school and student needs.

 

The projects began to move quickly. A local organization, Base Titanium, sponsored funding and building a dormitory. Aid Kenya Watoto supported the building of one classroom. Through the efforts of Anna, international donors from the United States sponsored a second classroom.

 

Aid Kenya Watoto now supports a full time dorm house mother, monthly food supply, after school athletic activities, instructional aids, first aid, and infrastructure of the new site.

 

A journey that started back in 2012, has transformed into an international partnership to change the path for deaf youth in the south coast of Kenya forever.

 

STATISTICS IN KENYA

 

The total population in Kenya is over 44,354,000 and the projected Deaf Population is 600,000.

One out of five Kenyans and 120,000+ Deaf Kenyans cannot meet their basic food needs.

There are only 340,000 active speakers of Kenyan Sign Language, both Deaf and Hearing people.

In 2010 the government finally declared Kenya Sign Language a national language.

 

Hearing loss in Kenya occurs most frequently due to congenital deafness from:

  • The misuse of antibiotic and antimalarial injections given to infants.
  • Infectious diseases (i.e. syphilis, cerebral meningitis, measles, mumps, rubella, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and malaria).
  • Birthing difficulties and/or the misuse of assistive birthing tools.
  • Improper cleaning metods or not addressing the condition called suppurate otitis media, collection of fluid in the ear, damaging the ear canal and eardrum.

The most interesting fact is that hereditary deafness is among the smallest percentage in Kenya.

More than half of all cases of hearing loss are avoidable through primary prevention.

People with partial hearing loss are able to benefit from hearing aids and assistive devices, and usually receive education and social support. However, the current production of hearing aids in Kenya meets less than 10% of the national need. Families in remote villages do not have the money or access to assistive devices.

 

This is why Aid Kenya Watoto and your partnership has become even more crucial than ever. The future of the Deaf community can be improved through education and giving them a healthy, safe environment to thrive. We cannot do this alone. We need your help to support these children.

 

Sponsor a child today through our Donate Page.

Every donation counts. A donation today is in an investment in tomorrow.

 

 

Statistics from the World Health Organization on Kenya, and the Deaf Atlas on Kenya