At he Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV), we encourage our kids to take the lead in solving the problems they see around them. This includes ensuring every member of their community feels like part of that community. This school year, fourth-year student Amata Belyse founded the ASYV Sign Language Club. She wanted to give her brothers and sisters the tools to connect with people in their communities who have hearing or speaking impairments. Her club is not only the first of its kind at ASYV, but in any school in Rwanda. The Rwanda Basic Education Board attended a club launch event we held in the Village, and they now hope to create programs inspired by Amata’s in other schools around the country. We sat down with Amata to talk about the Sign Language Club and her hopes for the future.  

What inspired you to create the ASYV Sign Language Club? 

When I was in primary school, I was living with my grandmother. We did not have money to pay my school fees. I went to my district for support, and they sent me to a school on scholarship where almost every student was deaf. Before I went to that school, I did not like to talk much, and was living like tomorrow didn’t exist. I didn’t study, and I didn’t care. But then I got to observe how deaf students are striving to be successful. I woke up and realized that there are some people that don’t have what I have. But for me to have it, but not use it well, what am I going to do? I started using signs, and then I became friends with other students and staff. I began to interpret Mass and school events.

Then I came to ASYV. Here, they train us to be leaders—to be a leader of yourself, to lead others, to have an ambition. I decided I wanted to lead by bringing accessibility to people who might come to the Village who cannot speak or hear. I then sat with ASYV staff to talk about the club, and they told me, this is very good. We are here to support you. Having their support motivated me and inspired my heart. It made me feel like, okay, I am doing this.

How’s the club going?

There are about 32 members, including a [staff] Mama, which is so special. I am teaching songs, prayers, anthems, and so many things. We meet three times a week so we can make signing a habit. We are also waiting for trainers from the Rwandan National Union for the Deaf, so we can have even more formal training.

What are your goals for the club?

ASYV receives so many visitors. I want the Village to receive deaf visitors, who will say, “Students at Agahozo can hear and speak, but are still thinking about us. We feel at home here.” Many people have a mindset that sign language is for people with a handicap, and that is not right. Like learning French, Japanese, any language, learning sign language allows you to communicate with more people.  

What are your plans for your future? 

I hope to become a doctor, and to use sign language in my career. Wherever I go to university, I will make sure I start a sign language club there too. In getting a job, my knowledge of sign language will be my uniqueness. I may be applying for a job with thousands of people, but I have a skill others don’t. So, for me, sign language is a key that can open many doors in life.   

My Design to Help People with Disabilities

The full version of this article, by third-year student Leila Ihezagirwe, is featured in Bwira News, our student blog.

One day, I was sitting in an electronics class, and the teacher explained that in this class, we are trained to become problem solvers. In my home community, I often saw people with missing limbs and trouble moving. I started thinking about a project I could make that would help people with physical disabilities. Then I started asking my teacher questions about the project. I decided to make a lamp controlled by Bluetooth from your phone. Whenever you are inside the house, you can switch the light on and off just by tapping your phone, without needing to move. 

This project helped me find my passion in life. After graduating from ASYV, I want to study to become an engineer. I want to continue my journey of solving problems for people with disabilities. Many people face problems that we can use technology to solve, and I want to be part of the solution.