Programs

The Deaf youth empowerment program creates an environment for the deaf community to gather to learn and be empowered with various information that they may be lacking, some of the workshops hosted by BSD include:

Furthermore, one of the key programs under the deaf youth empowerment program is the job placement drive. The deaf community tends to lag behind in securing gainful employment that can assist them in becoming self reliant due to a non inclusive society. BSD however works towards creating employment for the deaf community by seeking out job opportunities and placing the deaf in organizations best suited for them currently the employment statistics

Botswana Society for the Deaf in collaboration with Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE) oversees the Out of School Education Program which currently has enrolled 8 Deaf youth who have never been exposed to formal education. The program was also designed to assist members of the deaf community who completed school and thereafter did not find gainful employment or opportunities to further their studies. The program is currently doing well and enjoyed by the Deaf. The Ministry has provided a teacher while BSD identifies the learners and provides facilities, meals, transportation as well as the Sign Language Interpreter.

Some of the Deaf enrolled in the program have multiple disabilities; two of the learners have sat for PSLE in 2019 while 4 have been to school up to Form 3. For the year 2021, one student has been registered to sit for PSLE while on our waiting list there are four male deaf students who have never been to school waiting to be admitted into the program. Apart from learning how to read and write, they are also taught Vocational skills such as making flower pots. They are also taught Information Technology (IT) how to type, send emails etc.

This program is aimed at identifying deafness in children at an early age such that they can be placed in deaf centers as receive the appropriate care. Children identified are referred to Bamalete Lutheran Hospital, ENT Clinic and Princess Marina Audiology Clinic for assessment and recommendation on school placement. BSD has ever since been working with Bamalate Lutheran Hospital, ENT Clinic as well as Central Resource Centre in Tlokweng-a Department under Ministry of Basic Education under the Department of Special Support Services.

The Challenge facing BSD is that some children are identified very late and as result the child ends up not enrolled in school because of the admission policy that is in use. So far those that are identified late and are above age of admission are enrolled in OSET program to learn sign language as well as exposure to formal education.

BSD assures to offer psychosocial support to families who are dealing with challenges related to the challenge of Deafness. Notably so, this program was highly utilized during the lockdown period which proved to be challenging to many in terms of mental health. Bearing in mind the challenges that are already faced by the deaf community, the Covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns created an atmosphere of mental distress for the deaf. In 2020, BSD offered support to 15 members of a Deaf family by offering a private counselor to attend to them for 2weeks, in that period BSD offered food and accommodation to the family. Psychosocial support and counseling was further offered to deaf students at Ramotswa CJSS and RCDE.