Hundreds of parents have benefitted from Parents Awareness Workshops held in various schools for the deaf across the country this year. The aim of the workshops is to empower parents and guardians of learners with disabilities, especially those in schools for the deaf, with knowledge, tools, and networks for better support at home and school.

The latest such workshop was held on 2 May at St Anthony School for the Deaf in Webuye County and built on the momentum of the inaugural session held in November 2024. During the mid-term break in February, up to 308 parents were trained in seven different institutions, with parents inducting others in their schools.  The schools included Kuja, Kambui, Kaaga, and Tumutumu schools for the deaf. Others were St Anthony, Kedowa and Ngala schools for the deaf. Parents at the latter two schools also received further induction during the April holiday.

Since the first PAW in Kenya, significant progress has been made, particularly in parent engagement and support structures. Two main communication channels have been put in place: WhatsApp groups to facilitate ongoing dialogue, resource sharing, and coordination; and individual phone calls to ensure parents receive personalized support and follow-ups.

Progress

Many parents who attended the first PAW in November 2024 have taken an active role in their communities. Notable progress includes greater interest in learning sign language, with more parents enrolling in Kenya Sign Language (KSL) courses to better communicate with their children.

Additionally, some parents have created informal support groups to meet regularly and learn together. “I take this opportunity to thank the eKitabu team. The three days at the Parents Awareness Workshop helped me get this far. I am now at KISE studying KSL,” said Jacky, a parent at Kedowa School for the Deaf.

Serah Wanjiru, a parent at Tumutumu School for the Deaf, was equally elated. “The experience is awesome. Parents are ready to learn. We also had a session with an officer from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities which was very informative.”

The experience of the two parents was replicated in other schools across the country. With consistent engagement, more parents are learning KSL, advocating for disability rights, and forming support networks. Continued collaboration among schools, organizations like eKitabu, and government agencies will be key in scaling this impact.