MALAWI: CUNIMA takes Sign Language Campaign to the Street
By Luke Bisani
The Catholic University of Malawi (CUNIMA) students from the department of special needs on Saturday, September 28th, 2024, dared an 8-kilometre distance advocating for the use of sign language in the country as a way achieving inclusivity during the commemoration of International Week for the deaf.
Speaking after the big walk from CUNIMA’s main campus to near Mikolongwe Veterinary College, President of the Special Needs Association at CUNIMA, Emmanuel Siwinda, said Malawi needs to add more effort in addressing language barriers with people who are deaf in the country.
“A lot needs to be done to ensure that people who are deaf are part of communities; the immediate thing will be addressing the language barrier that has existed for decades. Few people, institutions, and organisations have expressed the importance of using sign language,” said Siwinda.
He further expressed the need for integration of sign language into the education system to ensure that every person has equal rights to education.
“When we talk of education as right, it includes every person, and for us as a country, we need to make sure that people who are deaf are able to learn without any problem,” added Siwinda.
Siwinda further added that Malawi stands at the position of benefiting economically if people adopt usage of sign language by helping the nation to tap into the skills and potential of people who are deaf, in the end boosting productivity, innovation, and economic growth.
Students from the CUNIMA joined the national and the world in commemorating the International Week of the Deaf under the theme, “Sign up for Sign Language Rights.”
CUNIMA is one of the institutions of higher learning that offers academic programs in special needs in the country.
