The South Sudan National Association of the Deaf has regretted the lack of sign language on TV across the country leaving them without information on the national broadcasting, SSBC.
This came during cleaning around Juba by the association of the deaf raising awareness to show that the government should know they are important and can work in the country.
The chairperson of the South Sudan National Association of the Deaf Peter Kachinga said they are missing a lot of things happening in the country because there are no sign language interpreters on TV.
“We are left behind on what is happening in our country more especially the peace which they are talking about, we don’t know anything because all the TV does not have an interpreter who should be giving us sign language so that we know what is happening.”
Kachinga states that there is a need for those owning a TV in South Sudan to introduce sign language so that the deaf are not left behind.
“We would like to call upon those owning a TV in South Sudan to introduce sign language in all the active TV which in the country so that all of us are on the same path.”
The chairperson of the Association of the Deaf urges the government and non-governmental organizations in South Sudan to support them because they lack schools for the deaf.
Peter Kachinga adds that they are facing some challenges in supporting to running of some of their activities like travelling to the States to give training to others who do not have basic skills of doing something for themselves.
“Lack of support is a big challenge to our association because we were supposed to move to all the ten states and the three administrative areas to at least give basic skills to our brothers and sisters, who are lacking some knowledge on how they can do something for themselves,” he said.
He calls on each and everyone to visit who is willing to learn sign language to go to their association in Juba Town.
“Anyone who is willing to learn sign language is welcome to our association which is in Juba at any time because we also need people to know the sign language.”
Dominic Simon, one of the members of the Association of the Deaf adds that they are doing the cleaning around Juba to tell people that they are available and they should be considered in society.
Simon complains that on many occasions they are left behind, not knowing that they are helpful to society.
“In most cases we are left behind, not knowing that we are important to the society that is why in this International Deaf week, we are going to move around cleaning Juba to show to the people that we are also helpful in the society.”
According to their sign language interpreter who helped in interpreting the sign language, the week will be for them to collect garbage around Juba to show people that there are deaf in South Sudan who can still do great work.