Provide quality education beyond primary school and middle school for deaf students
Remember Niger helped establish the first secondary school for deaf students in all of Niger. The Niamey Secondary School for the Deaf, which will be completed in two phases, began with the construction of four middle school classrooms. Eventually, the second phase will include the addition of a second floor with four classrooms for the high school.
Since 1980, fewer than 100 students have matriculated to middle school, five students have continued to high school, and only two students have passed the national high school exam. It was not until 2019 that the first deaf student passed the high school exam. The low rate of academic success is a direct reflection of a lack of accommodations and assistance provided to students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This scholarship will provide support for deaf students in Niger to continue their educations beyond primary school and middle school.
Djibo is Going to Gallaudet University!
Djibo is one of the remarkable students who will receive support from this fund. He was recently accepted to Gallaudet University and he needs our help! Read his story below:
Djibo went deaf at the age of 6. He has worked his entire life toward the goal of being a leader among the deaf community in Niger. Despite endless obstacles, he has earned his way through each grade level, graduated high school, and he just received news that he was accepted into Gallaudet University in Washington DC!
Djibo was born in Niger and his parents died when he was only 7 months old. When he was just 6 years old, he suffered a terrible accident while playing with his friends. He hit his head and the trauma was so severe that it caused him to become profoundly deaf. After losing his hearing he continued at the private school. It was very difficult for him because the lessons were mostly presented orally. His sister found out about a primary school for the deaf and at the age of 9 he transferred there. After finishing primary school at the school for the deaf he continued his education in the public school during middle and high school. Djibo would borrow his friend’s notes and copy them at home each night. His brother would also help him with his lessons and pay for tutoring. Djibo worked hard and went on to become the first deaf person to graduate high school and pass the BAC (the national high school exam). His dream is to attend Gallaudet University, a university for the deaf in Washington, DC.
In March, 2023, Djibo received his acceptance letter to Galludet University. This is remarkable because Niger is the least developed country in the world and he encountered every obstacle imaginable. But he worked hard and he succeeded!
This scholarship fund is being established, in part, to help cover his expenses. Djibo's wish is to return to Niger after graduation and be a leader in the deaf community, helping deaf children have more opportunities to succeed.