By Ernest Mfunya

Mangochi, August 16, Mana: Malawi National Association of the Deaf (MANAD) has equipped Early Childhood Development (ECD) Caregivers in Mangochi with sign language skills for proper delivery of special needs education in the ECD centres.

Speaking Tuesday during the end of a three-day training, which drew caregivers from eight ECD centres in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Mponda, MANAD Project Coordinator Sekerani Kufakwina said promotion of basic sign language skills in ECD centres can help eradicate challenges that caregivers encounter when teaching learners who have hearing problems.

Kufakwina said most ECD caregivers in the country have no capacity to deal with special needs children.

“We conducted the training in order to ensure that children who are deaf have access to quality education at an early stage just like any other child who is born with no any disability.

"Additionally, we have also provided the caregivers with the teaching materials such as dictionaries and sign language books where they can refer whenever they are teaching,” he said.

Oone of the care givers Florence Time described the training as important saying it has helped them to improve levels of communication.

"I want to commend MANAD for organising the training. I urge them to continue with the interventions so that it reaches many caregivers in the district and in turn promote sign language skills in the country," said Time.

MANAD is implementing a seven-month project called, “Promoting Accessible Malawian Sign Language Books” in Mangochi, Phalombe, and Lilongwe districts.

The project, which is being done with funding from World Vision, United States Agency International Development and Australian government is, among others, distributing gadgets like tablets that are loaded with sign language books to help special needs education teachers, parents of children who are deaf and ECD caregivers.