Hi there, Mzee Kiziwi!
Here is my response!
I am Jacob Mwaniki Ireri from Central Province. In 1990, I started my school at Kerugoya School for the Deaf for 10 years. This is because I failed to finish the standard 8 years of primary education. (8-4-4)
Thanks to the positive encouragement there, where I had to repeat KCPE twice in order to pass primary education examination. Well due to repetition, finally I did well in my KCPE which saw me proceeding to Rev.
Muhoro’s Secondary School in Nyeri District in 2001.
Mind you I was not qualified enough to study at hearing District or Provincial, let alone, National secondary schools. But I was just too good for a Deaf secondary School.
For the next four years, I received my secondary education there until 2004 where I have passed my finals with flying colour.
By flying colours I mean C-.
My performance there was noticed by the Board of Governors who are used to seeing Deaf people getting E's and D's in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination, and I was employed to teach English Language & Literature there for a year.
This is the only subject I was able to pass at KCSE.
My desire to know more about the world has led me to apply for further studies. With Global Deaf Connections’ backing, I got accepted at Machakos Teacher Training College to do the P1 course which resulted in me being a qualified primary school teacher. It took me two years up to 2007.
The college requires Deaf students to have C- or above. Thus as I said before, I qualified.
While at Machakos Teacher Training College, I was informed about the Nippon Foundation World Deaf Leadership Scholarship as I have applied to Gallaudet University to do a degree in Education. I was offered a place however I could not afford the huge fees there.
I decided to apply for the WDL Scholarship despite the many people saying that it would be difficult for me to win. It was a miracle when I was selected as Gallaudet University’s 2007 Scholarship recipient. I was really overjoyed.
Finishing college on 3rd August, I arrived at Gallaudet on the 24th, starting my first year as a “freshman”. So far I like it here at Gallaudet. I know Kenyans consider Gally cheap, but I beg to disagree. Our useless degrees are signed by the President of the United States!
My hope is to study Education to the MA level then return home to my native country Kenya in order to help and empower the Deaf community in Kenya especially in education, job generation and health care.
Oh, before I have left for the USA, I have been active in our community, for instance I established a self-help project in my home town which have given a lot of hope to Deaf Kenyans. I was the secretary general for the Central Kenya Deaf Association.
There is no secretary general post in CKDA, as Mzee Kiziw pointed out. But to me they are the same.I apologise to all of you for any wrong doin.
I have participated in the Ministry of Youth Affairs’ national essay competition for that I wrote about what I intend to do the one-million shillings if given by the Ministry. To my delight, I was in the top 300 winners out of 5000 (mainly hearing) participants. In fact, I came 40th in the runner-ups.
I have many dreams for our community in my home country where the quote “disability is not inability” comes true.
I will return the TAKEN FROM CKDA for typing and email.
Thanks,
Jacob Mwaniki Ireri
