GLOBAL REACH OUT Initiative

G U A T E M A L A E D I T I O N

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G u a t e m a l a n & A m e r i c a n

Back Row L to R: Michelle, Sebastian, Nick, Ricardo P., Daniel, Diana

Middle Row L to R: Silvia, Linda, Lisa, Ricardo V., Angela, Megumi, Gaby

Front Row L to R: Noppawan and Sandra

July 6 , 2010

GRO DELEGATES

he summer season is upon us with the passing of the Solstice earlier this month. As

the masses become engrossed with the lazy days of summer, we are hard at work finishing several projects and preparing for our upcoming Delegation to Kenya!

Though this newsletter primarily focuses on our spring Delegation to Guatemala, we have many exciting events to look forward to this summer (see sidebar). We hope you will stop by our booth at the International Deaf Expo, or come see our presentation at the NAD conference! As always, you can check out our website, follow us

on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or simply email one of us for up-to-date news and information about the organization!

No matter your plans this summer, we here at GRO wish you long days of relaxation under the sun, in the water, and safe travels wherever you may go.

From all of us here on the staff: Have fun and be safe!

July 10

NAD ConferenceThe 50th Biennial Conference takes place in Philadelphia, PA and we will be presenting Reaching Out on a Global Scale Saturday at 10:30AM in Franklin 4.

July 18-23

International Deaf ExpoCome check out our booth at the Sands Expo center in Las Vegas, Nevada! We will be there daily from 9AM to 5PM!

July 20 - August 8

Kenya 2010 DelegationFollow GRO’s website for up-to-date

details on our Delegates’ activities!

Winter 2010

India Applications We will have two groups for this

Delegation that will work with

two different organizations in Mumbai and Kolkata - we are so excited! Check our website soon for applications!

Friends of GRO (FOG)

Fundraising EventsWe are always looking for Friends of GRO (FOG) to host fundraising events for GRO. If you, or someone you know, has a great idea, loves to throw a good party, or has a knack for raising funds, contact us at info@globalreachout.org today!

Greetings

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Coming Up

1The Chief Editor of this Newsletter is Katie Cue (Social Media Director) with co#aboration $om Lizzie Sorkin (Marketing Director). Special thanks to Dr. Shilpa Hanumantha (Board Chair) and Avi Haimowitz (longtime Contributor) for their proo$eading expertise!

Unforgettable Experience by Niurka Bendfeldt

reetings from Guatemala! Here I will tell you a very

interesting story about an experience we had in our country, Guatemala.

In March, we deaf Guatemalans had the opportunity to participate for the first time in an event called “social change.” God gave us the joy of participating in a GRO workshop carried out in Antigua. Everything happened so fast: deaf friends called me to see about contributing as a coordinator for the GRO Delegation, which was a pleasant surprise. The goal was to organize an event based directly on education and the exchange of information between deaf Guatemalans and deaf Americans. The American youth were mostly Gallaudet University students, and the deaf Guatemalans were ASED (Educational Association for the Deaf) students, an organization for which I am the Founder and President. The aim of the association is to educate all children and young deaf people from Guatemala in order to help them have a better life, learn to fend for themselves,

ignore discrimination and rejection, and have all the necessary tools so that they, alone, can move forward. At the same time, the goal is for them to learn different sign languages, cultures, and so forth. The most important point of ASED is for young people to learn how to be leaders and prove to everyone that despite our silence, we can get ahead; we can, together, break all barriers, while not forgetting to have faith. I, as the coordinator and chair of ASEDAS/GRO, can say that living that

experience was pleasant. I love to participate, learn, work, and teach. It has helped me to make a better person, additionally, it has given me more motivation to go ahead and set up ASED Associacones to ask the world to come together and be the voice of silence. Together, we can break barriers, and GRO has given this opportunity to me. I give my heartfelt thanks and look forward to participating again in the next Delegation. God bless you.

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Guatemala Delegates

Boys L to R: Sebastian, Ricardo V., Ricardo P.

Girls L to R: Niurka, Sandra, Linda, Gaby, Michele, Diana

Editor’s Note: Accuracy vs. Authenticity.

This is an ongoing issue in any publication that spans multiple cultures and languages. As such, in writing this newsletter or editing printed materials for our organization, we often walk this fine line. It is always our desire to preserve cultures and the voices within while presenting information in the most accurate way possible.

Thus, we will occasionally leave articles untouched in the author’s native voice and/or language. Luckily, there are many wonderful translation tools available on the web for everyone to use!

Mi Historia by Michelle Dubon

Soy una joven guatemalteca sorda,me llamó Michelle. Y quiero compartir mi historia con ustedes. Mi primaria estudie lenguaje de señas con sordos. Básicos y bachillerato en un colegio con oyentes fue una experiencia difícil pero impulsada por el apoyo de mi familia aprendí mucho. El año pasado me gradué de bachillerato en computación. Y fui líder de jóvenes cristianos durante 2 años. Este año estoy estudiando lenguaje, gramática y habla en ASEDES (asociación educativa para el sordo). Conocí a GRO (Global Reach Out) con quienes aprendí mucho, conocí su cultura,les admire mucho, marco de mi vida. Me interesa estudiar fotografía en USA esa es mi meta más cercana y estoy preparandame mucho y lo lograré.

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The Birth of GRO-IS by Jennifer Campero & Wilmonda McDevitt

he Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) in Austin, Texas, has launched GRO-IS (Global Reach Out-International

Studies), a program in which 11 of our high school students will spend a year learning about a country before traveling to explore the country during spring break. Currently, TSD is working on accomplishing a model program which we began to identify the Deaf Way of learning and its implications for our students. The school has formed a Language Planning committee that is dedicated to exploring the Bilingual/Multicultural educational philosophy. With the course, International Studies, being offered, it gives us an opportunity to teach our students to become global citizens for our school. There is no better experience than to explore a country in its actuality, to live and breathe the culture, to embrace the language, and best of all, to believe all that we see.

Last March, we took the opportunity to travel to Guatemala and observe a GRO Delegation to gather a better picture of how it operates. It was, indeed, a fascinating experience as we saw bonds being developed between the American and Guatemalan Delegates. They shared similar issues, needs, goals, and most of all, the Deaf Way. It was amazing to see how much they all had in common.

With the experience of Guatemala, we know our students will realize that the issues they face are similar to what other deaf people in the world face. Issues such as: deaf identity, communication, barriers in the community, and developing bonds within the deaf culture. It is our hope that as the students see similar issues elsewhere, they will be empowered to deal with their own at home. That while students empower the deaf youth in Guatemala, they become able to recognize their own strengths and learn what they can do to improve

their leadership skills as well as identify needs in their community. It definitely will be an enriching experience for students from both countries, as it is a great partnership designed to bring the cross-cultural exchange of knowledge, ideas and experience to the youth level.

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Jennifer and Wilmonda look on as a Delegate speaks.

Soy Guatemalteco by Luis Ricardo Palomo Milian

Bueno, te cuento que hizo de mi sobre el GRO. Es mi primera vez de participar, estoy muy feliz de ir degro ,pero primero gracias a Sofia y Alim por ayudar a mi, tuvimos una semana muy alegre y divertido. El primer dia vi mi primera vez conocer de los sordos de USA, y me parecio vi las senas de ASL casi igual de aqui pero no lo es porque es ingles pero yo si entiendo, aca estamos aprendiendo por poco a poco y luego el segundo dia hermoso habia muchas actividades y platicamos muchosa cada persona de USA sobre su cultura y tambien mi cultura, eso me gusta mucho y tambien habia muchos juegos de race amazing, a mi me encanta, me gustaria saber donde es el mapa es como camino correcto. Aca estoy muy disfruto mucho y otros mas, tuvimos una semana muy cansado pero es bueno y muy divertido y tambien aprendi sobre de GRO y su cultura me gusto mucho y lastima queria quedar mas 15 dias mas ,para mas aprender mas y estar mas contento,a disfrutar espero la proxima vez ,me gustaria participar otra vez quiero aprender mas ,mas, mas a todo el mundo cada de pais ,me encanta viajar a todo mundo a conocer las personas sordos y su cultura quiero aprender diferente porque soy muy positivo ,yo puedo lograr hasta mis metas! PRIMERO A DIOS

See Editor’s Note: Accuracy vs. Authenticity on p. 2

http://translate.google.com offers excellent translation tools!

Farewell, Dan! Editor’s Note: GRO Finance Manager, Daniel Hamilton, recently announced that he was leaving GRO to pursue other opportunities.

As Executive Director, I want to thank Daniel Hamilton who has dedicated his time and commitment to GRO as a Financial Manager for the past year. He established the foundation of our budget in a non-profit setting with his financial expertise to help our organization run with efficiency. The GRO Staff is forever grateful for his involvement and for educating us in the field of finance (which is one of the m o s t c h a l l e n g i n g t a s k s i n a n y organization). We wish him the best of luck with his future career goals and hope to see him at various GRO events. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Dan, for believing in GRO! 

Alim Chandani

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Thank you, GRO by Rachel Blake (India 2009)

uess what I was doing today? I was looking at flights to Southeast Asia - I was debating

between Thailand, or Cambodia, or the Philippines. Then I caught myself, realizing that I would not be doing this if not for India. Then I remembered that I was asked to write an article for GRO. Oh, GRO India, the experience that changed my life.

What happened was reality in a whole another country. I was welcomed into a foreign country, into a deaf community, and into people’s hearts. Everything about the program had an impact on me. I remember an ice-breaker activity for the delegates:we were to share the number of countries we have been to outside the United States. I could not believe my eyes when I realized I was surrounded by big-time travelers. Some of my Delegate mates had already been to so many countries they numbered in the two-digits. I had only

been to Mexico and Canada before flying to India! However, I was not deflated in any way - better yet, I was inspired and supported by them!

Sure, I always wanted to travel, but I did not know how to get started. This program paved the way for me. GRO became my gateway to the world and I believe the other great thing is how it also led me to deaf people. GRO immediately opened my eyes to deaf foreigners, and especially deaf Indians. I never thought I would be working with such a unique team for a deaf camp. The Delegation was a healthy combination of American and Indian Delegates. We made a camp happen; we followed and we led. Along the way, the Delegation instilled tools in me, tools that were essential in communicating with deaf foreigners. The Delegation strengthened my ability to look at a different culture and understand life their way.

My mind was stretched to new dimensions. On their end, the deaf Indians were thrilled that a camp was taking place. Many campers were honest and willing, and we, the Delegates, kept open minds. It felt as if everybody welcomed the camp and let it unfold as a learning experience. All at the same time, I was able to recognize the most basic ideas about ourselves -- we are human beings. The deaf Indians and the deaf Americans share the same needs and desires. The two worlds became friends. In the end, it was every soul that grew from this global experience. And I took onto myself many lessons and new ways of living.

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A UNIQUE SPRING BREAK

in FEATURES by Daniel DiDonna

Instead of going to the beach every day, lavishing my skin with plenty of vitamin D, and drinking one too many beers— activities one would find during a typical college spring break which I’ve experienced for the past two years– I decided to do something different this year. In search for answers one might question through their journey in life, I signed up for Global Reach Out in Guatemala.

Before I explain the experience we American delegates went through in Guatemala, I will explain the purpose of Global Reach Out and its mission in helping others. Showing other Deaf persons oppressed in their home countries that “they can do anything but hear,” spreading the word about Deaf power and self-advocacy, and giving those increased confidence in pursuit of their goals and dreams is just some of what we try to accomplish.

Moreover, we also try to instill in them the self-confidence to stand up for themselves and take action if an obstacle stands in their way. This experience alone involves groups of people from different cultural backgrounds all bonding for one common purpose, “connection.” Connecting with another being, bringing light to your mind and body, becoming more emotionally aware within yourself will lead one in self-confidence and awareness.

To bring this kind of knowledge to other Deaf people in developing countries restores my faith in humanity once again. Exposing others to new and different ideas, helping them take initiative in their actions in terms of helping bonds in the Deaf community become stronger. All these are tidbits of the program’s mission, but little did I know what the experience would bring me and the other American delegates.

Flying through the skies, patiently restless between two other passengers, I found myself feeling a mix of excitement and uncertainty. Unsure of how the program worked, how I could communicate with the Guatemalan delegates, how I could actually help them. Thoughts and questions lingering in the back of my mind just made the flight feel much longer. The air began to feel warmer and warmer the closer we were to the ground.

Finally, we landed in Guatemala and met up with all the American delegates for the first time. Everyone hit it off, all crowded together in a small van sharing our life stories and experiences knowing we would have a great time together. Off we were to our next destination, one that everyone definitely enjoyed!

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Upon our arrival in Panajachel-small quaint towns surrounding the beautiful lake of Atitlan—we set out for a day filled with new discoveries and laughter. I will never forget the tuk-tuk ride (a Guatemalan taxi on three wheels) as we zoomed through narrow passageways through the slums. A bumpy ride heading down the 90 degree slant with cobblestones, boy, were we holding on for our lives yet laughing the whole time with our cameras going off every five seconds.

The natural and tranquil setting around the lake just made me ooze with warmth and happiness. This is a place I will return to again someday soon! The purpose of this short trip to the lake was to see the true Guatemalan culture. The native Indians resided by the lake, everything grown from the ground up, fresh vegetables and fruits, clothes and jewelry all handmade, bathing in the lake, soaking in the nature of beauty, the calamity of the Indian lifestyle is quite mellow.

The following day, we went to Guatemala City where we went to three different schools. Communication Total, Kipling School, and Fundal—all exposed us delegates to different types of education offered for the Deaf in Guatemala. One with a sign-language program, one with an oral program and the last with a Deafblind program—we were all deeply impressed by Fundal. Their approach in working with the Deaf and Blind students was impressive as we saw the teachers and principal interact with the students on a personal level.

For a moment, I felt like I was at home—not only that, Fundal is found deep in the mountains surrounded by one too many trees. As we went to all the schools, the American delegates developed a better sense of the Deaf community in Guatemala. Going into the program with some familiarity and insight, we could help the Guatemalan delegates more.After the visits, we finally arrived at the moment we longed for! The moment when we finally met the Guatemalan delegates, we immediately clicked as smiles and gestures burst all over the place. The rest of the week was filled with amazing connections and emotions. All wearing our hearts on our sleeves, investing our time into each other’s personal growth and self-awareness, we all really became connected on a personal level.

We all worked together in a series of workshops and real-life connections. Working outside on the balcony every day, under the hot sun gazing upon 3 different volcanoes that surrounded us, I found myself feeling serene with nature. Nature nurtures your mind and body in beautiful ways, and always does you good!

We went over many different topics; each country’s laws for the Deaf, rights, self-advocacy, importance of language foundation at a young age especially with sign language, self-confidence, working together as a group, becoming united with other divided associations, how to overcome differences and build from there, and so forth.Writing all the ideas on poster papers, expressing our thoughts and ideas through four different languages: GSM, ASL, Spanish, and English; posed some issues in how we could convey our message back and forth. With the help of translators, we were able to break down the communication barrier eventually not using the translators anymore because the delegates began to truly understand each other. Once we understood each other, we developed trust within.

Trust carried us through many countless memories that will be cherished forever. We played amazing race as a workshop, exploring the city of Antigua in search for historical clues and answers. Finding ourselves split into 4 groups, we all came up with a team name: GO MAYAS!

Transforming into Mayas, my group scrambled across town hurriedly searching for answers. The biggest challenge in this competition was each group had to get a handmade scarf for each team member for the price of 40 Quetzal all together. Get this, most merchants sold scarves for about 30-40 Quetzals each, and we had to negotiate to get 5 for just 40 Quetzals. Walking up and down the block, frantically negotiating with different merchants trying to find the best deal, 45 minutes ticked away and we finally found ourselves buying 5 scarves for 45 Quetzals, which is equivalent to just about 7 dollars. Talk about a cheap deal!

One night, we wanted to show the Guatemalan delegates what St. Patrick’s Day was all about in America, a day where everyone drowns in beer. We ended up buying wine, beer, and whiskey-all sharing with each other and playing countless rounds of the elephant game. A night filled with memories and laughter, we all ended the night with dance moves and jokes as the stars and moon smiled upon us.

There’s too much to say about this trip, I could go on and on with many different stories about what we experienced in Guatemala. But I know this for sure, we all learned a lot about ourselves as individuals and how we function in a group. All united under a common purpose, to develop self-confidence and affirmation in raising the Deaf communities—not just in America and Guatemala but all over the world.

We are here to reach out on a global level, and as we leave, we continue to reach out when help is needed. Life-long friendships developed and cherished forever, we all left the program feeling happy and sad. Knowing we all learned a lot, things that will benefit us yet the program coming to a close and everyone going their separate ways. An unforgettable experience, one that I would do over and over anytime!

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Editor’s Note: Reprinted with permission from The Buff and Blue (http://org.gallaudet.edu/bnb/). Original article published on April 6, 2010.

GRO’s D.C. Open House, April 23, 2010

Michelle Koplitz (Thailand 2007) and Lindsay Buchko (Honduras 2007) co-hosted GRO’s Open House on Friday April 23rd at 6PM at SOVAWine and Espresso on H Street in Washington, D.C.

Over 100 people attended and GRO raised over $2,500! The money will go to support GRO’s organizational costs such as insurance, mailing, printing, Post Office box fees, and much more! With this monetary support, GRO is humbled and grateful for all the people who donated and showed support to our organization.

Because of each individual giving not only money, but their kindness as well, GRO feels even more confident that there is a need for our organization in today’s world.

See the following page for a listing of the raffle prizes and the lucky winners!

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Check Out Some Pictures From Our Open House Event!(to see more pictures, check out www.flickr.com/globalreachout)

Joey Kolcun wins a Get GROovy GRO t-shirt. Get

yours today! See p. 5 for more details!.

Kalpana & Apu Varia pose for the camera!

Allison Polk, Rob Rice & Jake Trudo grab some comfortable seats to enjoy the GRO Open

House Event!

Julie Hochgesang checks her raffle tickets.Iris Gomes shows off her new Kenyan sandals!

Grand Prize winner, Niesha Washington-Shepard, proudly displays her new iPad!

One Hour Massage

Donated by Kara Gagnon

Winner Julie Hochgesang

One Rock Climbing Session

Donated by Michelle Koplitz

Winner Lisa Herbert

One Indian Blanket

Donated by Alim Chandani

Winner Julie Hochgesang

Winner Tina Lopez

Guatemalan Jewelry

Donated by Sofia Siliezar

Winner Melissa KononenkoFour Mini-Golf passes

Donated by H St. Country Club

Winner Ashley A Resume Package

Donated by T.S. Writing Services, LLC

Winner Harish Ramroop

Fashion Consultant for the Day

Donated by Smitha Hanumantha

Winner Erin LandNikon CoolPix S510

Donated by Dan Brubaker

Winner Niesha Washington-ShepardSemi-Pro Bike Cleaning Lube Job

Donated by Patrick Duncan &

Rachel Rose

Winner Rob Rice

Masaai Sandals to support

a Deaf Kenyan Teacher

Winner Iris

Winner Charles Sterling

Artwork Created by Muck

Donated by Michelle McAuliffe

Winner Rob Rice

One time Running Partner

Donated by Ben Harden

Winner Joey Kolcun

A Design PackageDonated by Nebo Studio, LLC

Winner Kirsi Grigg

GRO Shirt

Winner Joey Kolcun

iPad Donated by

GRO Staff/BOD

Winner Niesha Washington-Shepard

Walk In My Shoes Poster(www.walkinmyshoesglobalproject.com)

Winner Sisakoth Chhun

iPod ShuffleWinner Jimmy McCarthy

Winner Jesse Maleh

Congratulations to Our GRO Open House Raffle Winners!

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The GRO Staff has undergone some changes lately with the sad departure of Dan (see p.3), the addition of two new Staff Members, and our two summer Interns.

Graphic Designer

Alice LoAlice’s goal is to convey significant messages through minimal and noticeable designs. With GRO, Alice feels that she is not the only designer: the entire GRO team also acts as designers because they create projects that educate and empower deaf communities internationally. It’s all about teamwork!

A single tree makes no forest; one string makes no music.

Finance Director

Jenn ParkerJenn’s exposure and passion for Deaf culture and ASL along with her knowledge and skills in financial reporting and accounting processes makes her a valuable asset for the GRO team. Jenn’s main goal is to help GRO grow to its full potential with as much worldwide influence as possible.

Summer Interns

James FlakesA rising fourth-year Accounting major at NTID, James has worked as the Director of Finance for Deaf International Students Association (DISA) and is the current Director of Programming for the NTID Student Congress (NSC). James credits his experience at a Youth Leadership Camp (YLC) in 2006 for inspiring him to become more involved in his community!

Greg PollockGreg is really excited to be joining the GRO team this summer and has done his fair share of traveling around the world. Greg believes there are many amazing things to be seen in the world and just not enough people grabbing those open doors. So, he joined the GRO team in the hopes that he could help inspire people to travel and develop lifelong friendships across cultures.

Staff NewsGRO STaff Retreat by Bev Buchanan

need picture from GRO Retreat!

Giovanni Faria Green Grocery Manager

Lake Anna, Virginia was the location of our retreat and a perfect place for anyone who needs to escape the busy life of a city. It is a place where everyone can focus on projects and develop new plans, especially for GRO.

Most of us arrived on Saturday, April 24th to a lovely house by the lake that we rented out for the weekend. Upon arrival, we had a tour of the house and the chefs (yours truly and Dr.

Shilpa Hanumantha, members of the GRO Board of Directors) were busy setting up and putting the food in place. Executive Director Alim led the early session with the Program Coordinators from Guatemala (Sophia), India (Tamer and Anita), and Kenya (Norma) with Shilpa. The rest of us were busy preparing for a “make your own pizza” night with ingredients on the table for dinner. During dinner we caught up with old faces and became acquainted with new faces. Overall, there were 11 of us attending the retreat and two had to depart right after dinner due to previous engagements.

After dinner, we gathered to brainstorm the areas that GRO needs to improve on and the areas in which GRO excels. Staffers wrote 3 whole pages of our brainstorming ideas then we broke down the issues into focal groups. Most areas were related to communication and finance. It helped us to see the big picture of where GRO is at right now and where the program is going. There are a lot of areas we need to work on and that led us to set up specific goals for GRO.

We spoke of our recent success with the open house at SOVA, a coffee place on H street in Washington, D.C. We spoke of future ideas and what we can do for GRO.  We applauded Jeff for his excellent work on the GRO website and suggested some ideas for how to make the website more interactive. We wrapped up the day’s agenda and some of us hit the sack early, exhausted from a long day.

The aroma of coffee and breakfast woke us up the next morning and we gathered at the table for breakfast and caught up with each other’s news. Then we continued to work on the goals of GRO and had a team building activity. We split everyone into two groups and mixed up two jigsaw puzzle boxes. Jeff was chosen as the “UN Negotiator,” a neutral person that sat at the table while the other two groups had to send a “communicator” back and forth to trade pieces of the puzzle. While each team struggled to create a picture from the jumbled pieces of two puzzle boxes, a worn path developed as the communicators ran back and forth for the right pieces. Both groups completed their puzzles at almost the same time and we all sat down and gave each other feedback on what we saw during the process.

Then the staff of GRO continued to work on the timeline for various GRO projects while the chefs prepared a kabob lunch with the BBQ grill. We ate outside under the lovely sun and enjoyed the meal with drinks of our own. The afternoon flew by swiftly with GRO projects, packing and cleaning the house, and readying for departure. We had a group picture by the lake and loaded our stuff in our cars. We bid a sad farewell knowing that the next few weeks, we would all be very busy and buried under lots of work.

However, we left the retreat knowing that GRO is growing and there are lots of plans ahead to continue building our organization as long as we carry the spirit and make the world a better place to live by sharing our skills and knowledge with our peers across the globe. May our year be a wonderful and successful year!

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What is GDC? by Norma MoranEditor’s Note: With the plethora of organizations that exist to serve the deaf, it is natural that there are some overlaps and confusion regarding the roles of the different organizations and how they function. To address this, GRO will occasionally profile international deaf organizations in our newsletters to point out our similarities and differences.

ounded in 1997, Global Deaf Connection (GDC) is an international nongovernmental organization (INGO) and

partners with U.S. institutions, governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders in the East Africa Community (EAC) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). In those partnerships, GDC plays a role in developing and providing access to health care, information, education and employment for Deaf/Hard of Hearing as per their inclusion in nation-building activities.

As a registered 501(c)(3) organization, GDC is based in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota and staffed by two full-time staff members: the executive director and program assistant. The Board of Directors in Minneapolis and Washington DC provide direction and oversight. 

GDC is also registered as an INGO in Kenya, Africa with an office managed by full-time Deaf Kenyan staff in Nairobi. GDC-Kenya’s office has the Kenyan Board of Governors to provide advice and guidance on policy matters in Kenya.GDC’s primary long-term goal is to include the Deaf/Hard of Hearing in nation-building activities in their host countries. 

Several short-term objectives assist GDC in making its primary long-term goal a reality: 

1) Facilitate access for deaf/hard of hearing high school graduates to

enroll in teacher training colleges in their home countries and provide support until they graduate. 2) Advocate for affirmative action public and private hire of deaf teacher training college graduates to teach deaf children in educational settings.3) Develop and expand use of national sign language and interpretation. 4) Build the capacity of deaf students and teachers to prevent spread of HIV/AIDS.

Between 1997 and 2010, GDC has implemented the following activities in the EAC and CARICOM regions:

• Conducted surveys of the state of Deaf Education in various countries.

• Included Deaf/Hard of Hearing students in Primary Teachers Colleges

• Built capacity of Primary Teacher College to include Deaf/Hard of Hearing

• Advocated for the private & public sector hiring of Deaf/Hard of Hearing teachers

• Researched & developed sign language & interpretation programs?

• Trained Deaf/Hard of Hearing teachers about HIV/AIDS prevention

• Pioneered & presented a Kenyan Deaf Culture forum

• Mentored Teachers of the Deaf (ToDs) through Gallaudet University’s summer volunteer program

• Facilitated inclusion of Deaf Jamaicans in Deaf Culture Camp Minnesota  

Since 2008 GDC has worked closely with former United States Ambassador to Tanzania Charles Stith to develop strategies and procedures to best meet the demands and priorities of Deaf/Hard of Hearing children and youth in the developing world. GDC looks to the

future and continue to grow as a significant organization with a defined mission and strategy to include the Deaf/Hard of Hearing in foreign assistance development activities.  GDC wishes to thank USAID and the American people for their generous donations toward Deaf Education in Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Jamaica.How GRO and GDC are different: GDC’s mission is of an educational nature with a student-centric lens.

GRO’s mission is of a peer-to-peer nature with a cultural exchange lens.GDC focuses more on building the capacity of deaf teachers and analyzing the state of deaf education. GRO focuses more on community collaboration and analyzing the broad issues faced by the deaf community

How GRO and GDC are alike: They collaborate with fellow deaf people in developing nations.

They strive to provide access, information, and resources to build the deaf community’s capacity. They provide support in training, mentoring, facilitating, developing, leading, and planning workshops.They encourage the “can do” attitude!

For More Information Visit GDC’s website at:

www.deafconnection.org

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Forever GRO’ing

Our Purpose

Our Mission

Our Vision Our

History Our Story

Global Reach Out Initiative (GRO) is designed to build a global network of Deaf youth who unite to improve the quality of life for Deaf members within their home communities. Many developing countries do not enforce human rights for their Deaf citizens; consequentially, their ability to succeed in various spheres of life is limited. GRO is more than just an outreach organization that helps others - it seeks to empower Deaf youth in a mutual way by bringing together American and foreign delegates.

Many organizations currently exist to serve deaf communities internationally, but none exist that utilizes a peer-to-peer model to ensure that empowerment, rather than dependency, is the result of their collaboration. The peer delegates combine their experiences as Deaf people and their capacities in leadership to create and present workshops related to specific issues in their Deaf communities. Our goal is to encourage independence in all delegates; we expect them to establish communication networks that exist long after the delegation itself is over.

We believe unity is the first step in resisting oppression. It may be idealistic, but many successful policies for social change were and are often dismissed as impossible. GRO believes that social change in the global Deaf community is possible, and it strives to create a world in which deafness does not foster oppression; instead it creates empowerment.

GRO provides a solution by establishing cross-cultural relationships that empower deaf youth in the U.S. and developing countries so that both groups feel motivated to accomplish goals that strengthen awareness and enforcement of Deaf rights. GRO's programs are designed to push young members of Deaf communities worldwide to recognize their capacities as leaders and to work to obtain educational and social resources for themselves as well as others.

GLOBAL REACH OUTInitiative

P.O. Box 57269, Washington, D.C. 20037

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