By Collins Tadjob (YES 2017-2018, Cameroon, hosted by CIEE in Rosemount, MN)

I recently hosted a sign language training to promote the value of communication between disabled children and able bodied children. There is a local center in my community called the Emmanuel Sisterhood Center that regroups a variety of kids – blind, deaf, orphans, displaced kids, abandoned kids – all who face difficulties interacting with one another. In addition to already facing difficulties communicating, there is also a lot of political instability, which has led to kids being displaced and rendered homeless. This has made many scared to interact with people who aren’t like them. So another goal of this project was to encourage these children who have been emotionally scarred to open themselves up to the outside world again. 

In addition to eliminating communication barriers, I also wanted to demonstrate to the children with disabilities that there are people out there in this big world who love and pray for them; there are people who care and are willing to share time, experience, and talents with persons with disabilities.

With this in mind, I hosted a sign language training with my fellow Cameroon YES Alumni Association member, Nadege Flora Ndum Dze (YES 2013-2014, Cameroon, hosted by AFS in Cleveland, OH), and two other volunteers.

In addition to myself, we had two other volunteers who are fluent in sign language. We spent the bulk of our training teaching participants how to sign. The participants were most interested in learning the sign language alphabet, various greeting phrases, and some basic words like "chair", "table", etc. We also encouraged all the youth to dance and sing, which was treasured bonding time because it was the moment they opened up to us and to one another.

I believe sign language is important for people to learn so they can better understand others. Globally, teaching sign language to children has so many benefits. For example, individuals who know sign language get to communicate with the deaf around them without the necessary intervention of interpreters. Learning sign language puts more of a value on their own ability of speech. Sign language speakers can help others and be translators for others. And of course, it's fun to learn sign language.

Moreover, many are ignorant of this language. Therefore my plan is to continue teaching people in society about sign language through our various community service projects. If we keep teaching a few signs to others during those projects, we will gradually create awareness and reduce communication barriers for people with a disability. People like me.