New Publication : For The Deaf To Better Appreciate Their History

His was a pioneering event. A trailblazer. Though it was not a crowd-puller. Far from it! Only a handful of people attended the event. About half of them being his “colleagues” or those who share the same challenge. Yet, this did not in any way diminish the import - the history-making character - of the ceremony. 

In The Annals Of Their History
And so, Wednesday, October 2, 2024 will go down – I stand corrected – in the annals of  the history of people with hearing deficiency in Cameroon. Commonly referred to as the deaf – and sometimes equally dumb – these people have tended to be pushed to the background. Because of the challenge they face in communicating with “normal” people. But this does not mean people with hearing deficiency are idle and contribute nothing to improving their society. Rather, they also work hard. But their efforts are not often given as much visibility - by the media.

Retracing A Wonderful Legacy 
And so, the launch of the book, “Patrimoine du Reverend Dr. Andrew Jackson Foster l’Education et l’Evangelisation des Sourds en Afrique Occidentale et Centrale” (Heritage of Rev. Dr. Andrew Jackson Foster in the Education of the Deaf in West and Central Africa) by Evouna Etoundi Henri. Offered the opportunity for the media to sing the song of Cameroon’s unsung people – those living with hearing disability. 

First Time In Cameroon?
“I have never heard of met a deaf Cameroonian writer. And so, I guess Evouna Etoundi Henri is probably the first deaf Cameroonian writer,” a deaf person who played the role of compere, said at the ceremony. “My hope is that through the book, many people will know and appreciate the history of education of the deaf in Africa,” the author said. 
Supported by Projet d’Investissement en Capital Humaines, PICHNET and Cabinet Conseil en Communication Globale, Com’Actions Multimedia, Patrimoine du Reverend Dr. Andrew Jackson Foster l’Education et l’Evangelisation des Sourds en Afrique Occidentale et Centrale costs 10,000 FCFA in Cameroon. And 15,000 FCFA abroad.

Misleading Interpretation 
According to the organisers of the event, most of what goes on Cameroonian television channels as interpretation in sign language is often misleading. And so, the message does not go through to the deaf because the interpreters are not well trained. Thus aggravating  the problem of accessing information by the deaf. 

Who Is Evouna Etoundi Henri?
The author, Evouna Etoundi Henri, was born in Yaounde in 1971, deaf from birth. For primary education, he attended Ecole Specialisee pour Enfants Deficients Auditifs, ESEDA, Yaounde. He later attended the Yaounde Bilingual Pilot Centre where he conducted research on sign language. He worked with a Japanese, Dr Kamei Nobutaka, producing a number of publications in the process and working with the Foreign Language University of Tokyo. Married and father of two, Evouna has participated in several international conferences on sign language.

The Book Itself
Like the title suggests, the 264-page bilingual (French and English) book is a careful glance back into history. Of the empowerment of people with hearing deficiency in most of Africa. Through training in the use of American Sign Language, ASL. Which opened doors for many who hitherto were secluded to their own world. For want of an education and the possibility of opening up to the outside world.

Missionary-Teacher 
Rev. Dr Andrew Jackson Foster was an African-American missionary to Africa. With mission to train Africans with hearing disability how to communicate amongst themselves. And with the people around them. Through the use of sign language. “I felt called to take the lights of education and the Gospel to the deaf in Africa…at that time, Africa had only a dozen special schools and virtually no churches for the deaf,” the book quotes Foster as saying.

Difficult Access To Education
Born in Alabama, United States of America in 1925, he grew up and became deaf at the age of 11. In those years of racial segregation in the US, it was not easy for young Andrew Jackson Foster to receive an education. Talk less of special needs education for the deaf. Determined to be instructed, Foster’s parents finally secured a school for him. He then attended Alabama School for Negro Deaf and Blind and went on to secure BA, MA and MBA degrees. In addition to pastoral training. He was later awarded an Honorary PhD. Fondly – and so often referred to as the “Father of deaf education in Africa” - Fost...