CLaSH does a wide range of work to support children in
Namibia with language, speech and hearing impairments. The following are a few examples:
Advocacy CLaSH represents Namibia's children with communication impairments in various ways and on different forums. To date this has included the Committee on Disability, organised under the Disability Advisory Unit at the Office of the Namibian Prime Minister, the Steering Committee of the VSO Namibia Disability Programme and the Steering Committee for the Development of Namibian Sign Language.
Assessment and Diagnosis CLaSH's professional
staff and volunteers assess the extent of a hearing loss or any delay in speech
and language development in children, diagnose the cause and advise any action
that can be taken to treat it. This is done on a one-to-one basis in the
CLaSH offices or via outreach work in clinics and schools
around the country. The children are referred to CLaSH by
a wide range of health facilities, kindergartens and schools, other non-governmental
organisations and via direct enquiries.
Assistive Devices CLaSH provides ear moulds and hearing aids directly to hearing impaired children. Audiometers and other audiology equipment are also sometimes donated to state hospitals and rural clinics to improve the identification, assessment and diagnosis of hearing problems there.
Awareness Creation General public awareness of the causes of communication difficulties, their prevention and treatment in Namibia is poor. CLaSH undertakes a range of activities to improve this situation including producing posters and leaflets in six of the major Namibian languages; awareness raising campaigns; radio talks; publishing and distributing calendars, books and videos and a variety of other activities.
Bursaries CLaSH acts as a link between donors and children with hearing impairments. Donations go directly to support the beneficiaries and are used to pay school fees, hostel expenses and other costs linked to a child's special education
Counselling and Therapy Alongside the direct medical assistance provided to children via assessments, diagnosis and provision of assistive devices, CLaSH also provides auditory training and speech/language therapy to individual children to help them cope with their difficulties and develop their skills. At the same time CLaSH also offers important counselling sessions to assist parents and family members to understand and adequately handle their child's special needs.
Inclusive / Special Education CLaSH supports an individual, holistic approach for each child. Integration into mainstream education will be assisted wherever this is possible through awareness raising, regular advice and provision of resources to the children, parents and the schools involved. At the same time CLaSH recognises that inclusive education cannot do justice to every child and it therefore equally supports specialised approaches in education when appropriate.
Occasionally CLaSH also sponsors school outings and awards for academic achievers. Owing to CLaSH's initiative, the first deaf students participated in the Duke of Edinburgh's International Youth Award and Namibia's own EduVentures, a school programme to document the country's rich biodiversity.
Operation Omakutsi Access to specialist ear surgery via the public health care services is very limited in Namibia and only available in the capital city, Windhoek. For a few years now CLaSH has worked in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Services to secure the services of a team of highly skilled and respected German ear surgeons. They come to work for periods of 8-10 days in the North of the country and bring along most of their equipment and medication. They collaborate extensively with
Namibian ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) doctors and perform middle ear surgery to restore or preserve the hearing of around 40 patients on each trip. The German doctors do their work free of charge and the operations make a significant difference in the lives of many children.
Parental Participation and Empowerment CLaSH organises a variety of meetings and training workshops for parents of children with communication difficulties where they can share experiences, grievances and hopes, gain knowledge and learn new skills. The aim is to empower parents by promoting their sense of responsibility for the well-being of their children and by strengthening their belief in the value of a parental support network.
Pre-School Units In 1994 CLaSH established the first day-care facility in Namibia which, based on the Montessori approach, offers specialised pre-school education specifically for severely hard-of-hearing and deaf children. The Unit provides a stimulating environment where the children can learn effective communication skills and are prepared socially, emotionally and mentally for their formal schooling. Recognising the immense need in the North of Namibia and based on the success of its own pre-school CLaSH facilitated the establishment of a parents group in the Ohangwena region and helped them set up their own pre-school unit for deaf children. It is worth noting that both units are supported by deaf class assistants.
Training Activities CLaSH offers and delivers a wide range of training activities, seminars, workshops and lectures to a diverse group of individuals across Namibia, including parents, care-givers, teachers, social workers, nurses, rehabilitation workers, doctors, government officials and the general public. The CLaSH annual seminar is a national event aimed at those working with and trying to support children with language, speech and hearing impairments. Each year it focuses on relevant topics of interest. Other training includes delivering modules on language development and language stimulation, identification of language, speech and hearing difficulties, basic intervention methods and training on Namibian Sign Language.
