Signs of the Times

This week we visited Alice Atieno (below, second from the right) at the Karen Technical Training Institute for the Deaf. We are so pleased to report back that she is making huge progress there, and has achieved good term grades.

We found her cooking up a storm with her fellow students - but whilst the class room was quiet there were obviously many animated exchanges going on, and the ingredients were being mixed with much culinary cheer! 

In September, Alice will be going on attachment, which she is much looking forward to. She spoke to us of her excitement at being exposed to more of the outside world and of how much she wants to learn new techniques and meet new friends and colleagues. 

When we asked her if she had encountered any particular challenges this year, her confident reply was that challenges are normal and to be coped with on an every day basis - one way or another, without fuss. This pragmatic approach to life was echoed in her recommendation to the Dean that it would be great to have more items available for their practicals - budget permitting. 

On our way out, Alice, realising our inability to follow what she was  'signing', rushed off to bring us her signing text book - which we will now do our best to delve into and learn from - so that on our next visit we can do better than our weird and wonderful gestures, that must have made a few of her class mates giggle! 

Alice with Catherine in the Dean's office and Catherine with Alice's 'signing' book.

Alice with Norah Joy Iganza, the Dean of Students

Making the most of our Post-KCSE students

Last week we completed another good communication skills training course for our fourteen post-KCSE students, together with five from Karen Street Children's Trust. 

The three day course covers good communication and presentation skills; English grammar; letter and CV writing; emailing and texting: time management; social media; and good etiquette - with a good amount of the course spent role-playing and presenting. A lot of fun was had by all and the students all leave with their comprehensive documents, which will help them in the future! Certificates were presented to the students at the end of the session, by Pop Gunson and Romi Grammaticas. We wish them all the best of luck now with their tertiary education, and will be supporting them through the next exciting stage of their lives!