Voice via hands: Visiting special school for Cameroon's hearing-impaired children

STORY: Voice via hands: Visiting special school for Cameroon’s hearing-impaired children

SHOOTING TIME: Sept. 22, 2025

DATELINE: Sept 23, 2025

LENGTH: 0:02:21

LOCATION: Yaounde

CATEGORY: SOCIETY/EDUCATION

SHOTLIST:

1. various of the special school

2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Sign language with French translation): BERENISE OKALI BILAYE, Student of the special school

3. SOUNDBITE 2 (French): MERLIN DEFFO SADEUH, Sign language teacher

4. SOUNDBITE 3 (French): FRANCINE AURELIE ANGUE EYI, School principal

5. various of the special school

STORYLINE:

Tuesday marks International Day of Sign Languages.

In Cameroon’s capital of Yaounde, a special school has been dedicated to educating hearing-impaired children since 1972.

With limited materials, teachers enable students to learn sign language, fostering communication skills and social integration.

Students also receive training in sewing and other vocational skills, which help to prepare them for future independence.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Sign language with French translation): BERENISE OKALI BILAYE, Student of the special school

« Hello, my name is Berenise Okali Bilaye. I’m in 7th grade now. »

SOUNDBITE 2 (French): MERLIN DEFFO SADEUH, Sign language teacher

« The difficulty I have in training them is finding suitable visual teaching tools. This is due to our school‘s limited resources and lack of equipment. »

School principal Francine Aurelie Angue Eyi called on parents of hearing-impaired children to prioritize education. Eyi stressed the importance of parents learning sign language to communicate effectively with their children.

SOUNDBITE 3 (French): FRANCINE AURELIE ANGUE EYI, School principal

« Parents who have children with hearing impairments shall get involved in their education by learning sign language, because sign language is the children‘s mother tongue.

If parents get involved in their child’s education and learn sign language, they will see that communication within the family will no longer be a problem. »

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Yaounde.

(XHTV)