A Success Story
In 1994, there were some who wondered why a school for deaf kids was needed in a place like Embangweni, which was “very far”. Deaf kids surely couldn’t learn much, could they? Fast forward to 2014 and the Embangweni School for Hard of Hearing celebrated 20 years of teaching success. On October 3 the school hosted an anniversary celebration attended by former teachers, some of the charter class students, heads of institutions, village headmen and representatives from the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Education Office. It was not an anniversary of simply surviving for 20 years, but of continual growth and success. See the section “2014 Celebration Year” for details. The Primary school continues to flourish and in 2020 was serving nearly 200 learners in classes Preschool 1 through Class 9.
From the charter class of 1994 onward, students consistently have done well on the school leaving exam given to all Malawian students completing Primary School. Many of the learners have gone to secondary school and a number have completed Form 4. This is something not accomplished easily even by hearing students. Over the past 20 years, the school has touched and improved the lives of many children and they in turn have shown their communities that “deaf is not death. Disability is not inability.”
One of these, Fanny, is a major success story. One of the charter students, Fanny completed primary school at the Embangweni School for the Hard of Hearing, completed her secondary education at Robert Laws Secondary School, completed teacher training at Loudon TTC and went on to earn a university diploma in Special Needs Education. She is currently developing programs for children with special needs in Ekwendeni. She is married and has a young child. The deaf can’t learn much? Don’t tell Fanny that.
Other students, such as Frank and Levi, are planning to return to secondary school and improve their test scores in order to move on to advanced education. Levi is very active in MANAD (Malawi National Association of the Deaf) and in 2021 was active in the Deaf Empowerment Program in Northern Malawi, working to educate the deaf about COVID. He is married and has a young child. He owns a shop in Mzuzu. Deaf kids can’t learn. Really??? Other graduates from the Embangweni School are also productive members of Malawian society. For example, the girl Lonely works as a carpenter at St. John of God in Mzuzu; Patrick also works as a carpenter; Mercy is employed as a tailor.
The teaching faculty has grown with the school and in 2020 numbered 12 classroom teachers, a head teacher and a deputy head teacher. There are also two vocational education instructors, both of whom are deaf. Even though the location is remote, conditions sometimes difficult and the job certainly a challenge, teacher turnover is small. Some of the teachers have been at the school for much of their teaching lives. A number have made the effort to advance their education by taking college courses during school breaks and a few are attending university full time but planning to return to teach the deaf after obtaining a degree. One of them, Michael, said when asked where he would go to teach after university “I will return to teach the Deaf. Teaching the hearing is now boring to me.”
Often special bonds seem to be built between teacher and students, as was seen when Mr. Mondwe, former teacher and interim head teacher at Embangweni, returned for the 20th anniversary. Apparently oblivious to the important people and activities going on, Mr. Mondwe could be seen surrounded by former students, hands flying in happy conversation. Indeed, Mr. Mondwe returned to the Primary School for the Deaf in 2016 and served as Head Teacher until his retirement in December 2019.
Fulfilling the dream of the first headteacher at the Primary School, Mr. E.G. Mtonga, a Secondary School for the Deaf was built near the Primary School grounds. It opened on March 2, 2015 with one class and 15 learners. This is the first and only secondary school in Malawi specifically serving the deaf. Learning is much easier for these students when they can be taught in their own language of sign. Growth has exceeded expectations with students coming from all over Malawi in order to learn in their language of sign. In September 2019, the school had reached the planned growth to include Forms 1 through 6 and had a student body of 81 learners and a teaching faculty of 15.
Click a button below to see other pages.