Ms. Carrie Brollier
As a teacher of the deaf, it is an incredibly joyful experience to be a part of my students’ education and growth. I truly love the children and am fortunate to have opportunities every day to help them learn. I am an enthusiastic, passionate teacher, but I have also long been interested in international humanitarian issues. During my time in graduate school, I completed my departmental research on education for deaf individuals in Africa. What I learned broke my heart and ignited a desire in me to make a real difference. Unlike the United States, many countries in Africa have few laws or resources to provide basic needs for children with disabilities, particularly “unseen” disabilities like hearing loss. Culturally, the community treats deaf children as if they are worthless, and children are often neglected, abused, and generally left with little capability to communicate at all. An article in Africa News (2006) revealed how deaf individuals in Uganda carry the title kasiru, meaning stupid, and are not given proper names by families who believe they will not become productive members of society. Social intolerance leads to situations in which deaf children are “beaten, chained, denied food, sexually abused and abandoned in urban centres.” Heartbroken and determined, I immediately began financially supporting the education of a young deaf child, Emmanuel, and sent several shipments of supplies to a school in Uganda. True devastation hit me very personally the following year. During political uprisings in his country, Emmanuel disappeared one day; no one ever discovered what happened to him. For me, awareness of the situation was no longer enough. Sending money was no longer enough. I wanted to be there, to comfort the children, to show them that they are valued, and to teach them how to communicate. I wanted to start my own program for deaf children in Africa.
After years of praying for the opportunity to move further with my desire to help, I met Elaine. From the moment she stepped foot in my classroom, I knew instantly that Elaine was special and meant to be in my life. Working with Elaine and communicating with her parents developed into an amazing friendship. It now results in the chance to work alongside Edith and Eddie, kindhearted, passionate people who also desire to help deaf children in their country. After diligently praying and seeking God’s will, I felt an affirmation that I should serve alongside the Mukaayaz in Uganda this summer as we continue to seek the Lord’s will for future projects. I am incredibly joyful and grateful for this opportunity, and I’m excited to see how God plans to use us all in the coming months!
https://sites.google.com/site/carriebrollier/
(2006, June). Uganda; AIDS threatens deaf. Africa News. Retrieved August 25, 2006, from LexisNexis.