The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded Gallaudet University a $1.5 million cost extension for the Strengthening Deaf Education, Empowerment, and Employment (Deaf-E3) Activity in Nigeria.
This announcement was made in a statement released by Gallaudet University on Thursday, December 12.
Speaking on the development, Project Director Amanda Mueller said, “This will help build on the successes that the Deaf-E3 team has witnessed since beginning their work in May 2021.”
Deaf-E3’s mission is to address the educational disparities and marginalization faced by deaf children and youth in Nigeria through a comprehensive approach. This includes capacity building for deaf education professionals, interpreters, and Deaf-led organizations such as the Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD), the Deaf Teachers Association of Nigeria (DTAN), and the Deaf Women’s Association of Nigeria (DWAN), as well as USAID and its partners.
Over the past three years, Deaf-E3 has met or exceeded all of its USAID indicators. According to Mueller, the achievements have been made possible through the contributions of local Deaf leadership in Nigeria.
Mueller added, “Those who have participated in the Deaf-E3 training have brought so much back to their communities. One example is the parent engagement seminars developed by participants of the Multilingual Multimodal Pedagogies (MMP) initiative, which have been replicated in all participating primary and secondary schools. These events brought together a total of 357 parents and caregivers, helping them improve their use of Nigerian Sign Language and understanding of how to support their Deaf children at home and school. One parent who attended a seminar shared, ‘I am so grateful for this opportunity. Before, I struggled to communicate with my 8-year-old Deaf child, but now I feel equipped to connect effectively.’”
Activities like these have been duplicated and are now being shared with educators in Nigeria and neighboring countries. “There were successes and cascading impacts that we couldn’t have predicted,” Mueller said.
According to the statement, the original three-year $2.065 million grant from USAID ended in October 2024. The new extension, which will run from November 2024 to April 2026 and is funded through USAID’s Disability Program Funding, offers a significant opportunity to sustain the momentum and deepen the foundation built over the last three years.
“We get to continue collaborating with a truly remarkable group of leaders and community members,” Mueller said. “It’s exciting to envision the transformative progress we will achieve together in this next phase.”
Join Inclusive News Network WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You. Click Here
5 comments
I am very enthusiastic about this opportunity because this position is fully in line with my interests and values.
Sir Goodmoring I am interested for program of USA American
I want to interested
If it want go I say yes
I am very interested about this opportunity because this position is fully in line with my interests and values.
I was one of the Deaf-E3 training benefits at ife osun State last year.
It’s great opportunities for us Deaf in Nigeria
Thank you.