Silent Activities

Learning Sign Language    -Nathan 

Coming to Rwanda we expected to learn French and a little Kinyarwanda, but we didn't expect to learn a 3^rd silent language. The learning was an experience! Sign Language is simpler than French or Kinyarwanda,  so we progressed very quickly (but only through the first level).  It has given us a sense of accomplishment and joy to talk to our new deaf friends.

The Rwandan in front was our teacher

Our teacher, Blandine, was deaf and partly mute.  Deafness affects speech, so most people born deaf are also mute because they have never heard anything and therefore don't know how to speak.  The ones who weren't deaf all their life, like Blandine, can speak, but in a whispering rasping voice.   So during the lessons we had to pay very close attention with our eyes, watching every movement of her hands.

She taught basic vocabulary, demonstrating the sign for each word.   Then we reviewed the new words individually, and created conversations using the words we just learned.

     Learning any other language, we probably would  have become tired after 4 ½ hours, but sign language with a deaf teacher was  very intense, and required a lot of focus; but it was a fun experience. 

A few days after taking our second class we visited a deaf school, and were able to practice signing to the students. Their faces lit up, and they surrounded us and asked our name. 'N-A-T-H-A-N'  I slowly signed, and the conversation began! 

    

Art with Deaf Children  -Michael

Tiny second graders swarm around us, signaling, tapping or making quiet grunts to get our attention, to tell their name or ask mine. Brilliant white smiles split their faces from ear to ear. Everything is quiet except for the motioning hands. We respond with the slow motions of new signs we've learned. ‘My…name…is…M-I-C-H-A-E-L.’ The smiles open even wider. ‘Your….name….what?’  The kids sign their name so fast we have to signal them to repeat it slower.

We also drew sunsets with chalk and placed them
 behind silhouettes of African animals.

Sign language is so different from any other language. It is a way to communicate with people who are deaf and/or dumb. Its style and vocabulary often varies in different countries to reflect the culture. Some of the signs we learned in our class with a Rwandan teacher were different from the signs used at the school which is taught by Italian nuns. Many of the students at the school are deaf from birth; they have never heard a language spoken before. Others have become deaf from untreated illness.

Fingerprint animals. Some kids got really 

creative with this project.

We joined an American team who came out with supplies to teach art and sports.  The theme of the art projects was Noah’s Ark. We helped them create chalk art, simple colorful patterns and fingerprint animals.

We individually cut out the shapes for coloring
with exacto knives.

This project was to help kids see how red, blue and yellow can be mixed to create so many other colors. We dripped food coloring in the edge of a piece of paper and smeared it across the paper. Then it was cut into small triangles and formed into a geometric shapes.

We took photos of each kid and the class. The American team also brought out a suitcase of stuffed animals for the students.

Hardly a word was spoken. The kids were so happy to create art. Joy and surprise lit their faces when they saw the drops of color blend together. Each student smiled with pride to have their picture taken with their finished artwork. We communicated with limited sign language, but the best communication came from showing them our excitement, joy, and encouragement.

We visited the school regularly to play sports, teach English, and help with more art. Hanging out with these kids and learning sign language was one of our highlights last year :-D