A Nod to Nigeria
I would like to highlight a wonderful blog written by a friend who is beginning a two-year Voluntary Service Overseas Canada experience in Birnim-Kebbi, an arid town in northwest Nigeria.
Christine “Coco” Roschaert has the luxury of having internet access at her Nigerian home, so she gets to blog far more frequently than I ever did! Like me, she has Usher Syndrome; in contrast to me, she has far less vision and defines herself as a Deaf-Blind woman.
For her first six weeks in Nigeria, two “intervenors” came with her from North America and translated everything around her into tactile ASL, and the three of them trained others in her village and greater VSO community how to communicate with Coco during her two years in Africa. She will be working with schools to develop a sign language and English curriculum for Deaf-Blind children, and making HIV/AIDS prevention presentations to Deaf communities across Nigeria.
Her bravery knows no limits! Here’s her blog: Tactile The World. If you’re on Facebook, look for her group, “Where in the World is Miss Roschaert?” where she has posted entertaining vlogs from Nigeria (and where she often posts her blogs first).
