Salmu Alhassan, saying thank you in the sign language
For many girls in Yoggu Community One in the Tolon District of the Northern Region, getting into mainstream education do not come easy but it is even more difficult for those with special needs.
So, for 14-year-old Salmu Alhassan who is hearing impaired, being enrolled in a special education facility was a dream until the intervention of the UNFPA-UNICEF funded Adolescent Safe Space Project being implemented by Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC).
“We met Salmu Alhassan in August 2019 at one of our safe space sessions where adolescents meet to discuss their issues. During the session one of our officers noticed she was hearing impaired because trying to understand whether she understood what was going on, she started crying,” says Nancy Yeri, Project Manager, Adolescent Safe Space Project, NORSAAC.
The officer took interest in Salmu and made several follow-ups with her family to convince Salmu’s father to get her enrolled in school, despite her challenge.
Nancy Yeri, NORSAAC Project Manager
“We told Salmu’s father of the opportunities available for her if she goes to school and she is empowered to become what she wants to be in future. He agreed but he made us understand that he did not have the resources to take her to school,” she explained.
Salmu’s father, Alhassan Fuseini, together with his wife Salima Sandema Naa cultivates groundnut and yam as their source of livelihood.
He says the income they derive from the farm produce is insufficient to cater for Salmu’s education in addition to their oldest child who is in school as well as the family’s up-keep.
“Everyone in the house can hear and talk, except her, so if I decide to leave her alone what will become of her future. I wanted her to go to a school which will help her socialize and get educated, but I did not have the money,” he recounts.
Ms. Yeri indicates that with the father’s blessing, NORSAAC started the process of getting Salmu into school using the cross-sectoral referral system being implemented by the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection.
“We referred him to the Social Welfare Department in the district and the department gave him an introductory letter and we supported him to register her on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for proper medical assessment which was done at the hospital.
Salmu Alhassan, with her father Alhassan Fuseini going through her sign language reading material
We were referred back to the Social Welfare Department and they also referred us to the special education unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES) where we were linked to the Savelugu School for the Deaf and the process started for her enrollment,” she narrates.
Within three months, Salmu’s father, with the support of the project, had enrolled Salmu in the Savelugu School for the Deaf and she started school in November 2019.
Like any parent, Salmu’s father was concerned about how she was going to cope at her school taking into consideration the fact that it was her first time in school and she was going out of her community.
“We were afraid that because the school is not in the community she will not feel at home. The school is in Savelugu, about a two hours journey.
It was her first time in Savlugu and she could not talk nor hear so my worry was her ability to stay with all the new people she was going to meet at the school but I took her anyway,” he recounts.
In less than two weeks, Salmu’s father was back at the Savelugu School for the Deaf to check-up on his child but to his amazement Salmu had integrated into her new environment.
“I thought when Salmu sees me she will be crying to return home with me but that was not what happened. She came around me alright but she did not show any sign of wanting to return home with me.
When I went there and she did not cry I felt some peace within me and then I knew that she was in good hands,” he adds.
Ms. Yeri says that the zeal and support shown my Salmu’s father in getting his daughter into school has been encouraging.
“One thing I must say about Salmu’s father is that first he resisted the change but when he saw that there were opportunities, he really opened up and pushed himself.
Because sometimes the challenge about these interventions is that the family is not willing to pursue it and even though this is not about sexual or gender-based violence his energy when he realized there was that opportunity was really inspiring for us as well,” Ms Yeri asserts.
The Director of Social Welfare, Tolon District, Albert Anamoo, says the district supported Salmu with a few items for her school through the District Assembly Persons with Disabilities Fund.
The District Assembly also visited her once at the school to monitor her progress. “As I speak to you now her application is even on our table and we are working to see when they come back to school how we can support her more.
However, with the onset of Covid-19, Salmu has not been able to return to school since March this year but her life at home has improved as she is socialising more with the other children on her compound, most of the time smiling and making eye contacts with them. She also brought home some of her study materials which she goes through sometimes as she awaits the reopening of schools.
“We are encouraging parents with children with similar conditions not to hide those children because they are equally like us and they should come forth and seek assistance from us because we are ready to support those with disabilities or children with special needs,” Mr Anamoo says.
“I always champion the Education of persons with disabilities because I believe that when you give them support as far as education is concerned in future, they will not want to rely on someone for their livelihood. So, when we support such persons, education wise, I do not think we are making a mistake,” he adds.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri