The Deaf Unit, Old Cairo

The Deaf Unit

A young girl signing "I love you!"

The Deaf Unit is a bilingual NGO serving deaf children 55 of whom live at the school whilst another 15 children attend classes from the surrounding area. Students enter the school when they are between 5 to 6 years old. Instruction is free, but families of the children who are accepted from a waiting list, pay a small amount for food.  These children study at the deaf unit until Year 6.

When a child begins at the school, the first step is to communicate with him/her. “If they communicate by standing on their heads, we will stand on our heads.”  Many families with deaf children have a private family or “home” sign language, however, at the school they learn standard Egyptian Sign Language. In about a month, they can learn enough sign language to communicate with each other and with the world around them.

Training Teachers for the Deaf Unit

The child's family then should choose one person, usually someone who can read and write, to learn Egyptian Sign Language.  After the child learns to read and write in Arabic we then trying to teach English. “English is the language the world uses” and the Internet opens up all information.

The Deaf Unit has come a long way since it was opened 1982. The school has branched out into vocational training, teacher training for the Middle East, a Deaf Club, a Deaf Church and an audiology department is under preparation that will provide hearing tests free of charge. “Our target population is the people who cannot find or afford services."  In these vocational training tracks, girls can choose sewing, weaving and embroidery whilst boys can choose carpentry, furniture painting, and metalworking.

 

Confirmations at the Deaf Unit

 

The Deaf Unit

Mrs. Clare Malik, Director

The Rev. Faraj Hanna, Assistant Director

 

46, Amr Ben El Ass Street, Old Cairo

P.O. Box 25, Elmalek El Saleh, Cairo

Tel: 2362-6022

 

For information, please contact:

deafunit@gmail.com