Programs
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The Nyadire Connection maintains many ongoing programs, focused on Health, Orphans, and Education and Relationships:
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Hearing Innovation
Program leader: Deborah Swineford Email: dsdla7@gmail.com The Hearing Impaired Resource Unit was introduced to the Nyadire Primary School in 1994 with the help of the community, church, and Ministry of Education. It serves as a special education school for children in the Mashonaland East Province and is one of the few hearing impaired programs available in the entire province. The opportunity to receive an education gives students an identity and voice, teaches self-reliance, provides meaningful purpose, and most importantly encourages friendship, value, and goals. There is a fee to attend school and uniforms are mandatory along with boarding fees, because these students travel from a large distance to attend this specialized program. Program leader Deborah Swineford visited Nyadire in January 2023 and provided this update: "My daughter, Leah, and I traveled to Nyadire and spent a delightful 10 days. There are 20 HI students split between two classrooms of K-7, so it is much like a one-room school house. This makes teaching quite a challenge. During our visit we taught classes and assessed the needs of students and teachers, and the classroom. There are many needs. The classrooms do not have electrical outlets and only have small chalk boards (about 3-foot square) to use for instruction. We’d like to install multiple electrical outlets in each classroom and also provide some instructional materials to aid in learning. "The teachers are very supportive but sign language isn’t their first language so we’d like to offer them some training, specifically in teaching methods for the Deaf so they can become more effective teachers. "Once our HI students graduate from 7th grade, they can no longer attend the Hearing Impaired Resource Unit offered at Nyadire Primary. At that point, some drop out of school and are faced with a life of doing menial work, but we believe that with further education these students can achieve greatness. "A few of the Nyadire students have been fortunate enough to further their education at one of two secondary school programs for the Deaf in the capital city of Harare. During my trip I visited both schools to observe their programs; one is an academic secondary program and the other a vocational school." Click here to see the program's Summer 2022 newsletter. Download and print the Sponsorship Registration Form |
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