Technology has given deaf girls a voice and created more visibility for them.

“At our Empowerment workshop we not only equip deaf girls with livelihood skills but also empower them on how to use digital tools to create more visibility for their produce. Technology has become their voices reducing the communication gap for consumers who do not understand sign language.”

All thanks to digital tools I am able to go about my daily businesses more easily. From my home am able to connect with these amazing group of women “World Pulse” who have become an important source of motivation and inspiration for me. Thank you, my World Pulse family. Am able to attend online international conferences and meetings while facilitating as presenters in some, attend courses and trainings online that has had a very positive impact in the work I do, pay my utility bills, transfer money locally and internationally when need be. In connection to my business, am able to shop online and get the goods delivered to my home and am able to learn new designs and sell more of my beaded sandals online on a daily basis. In fact, life has become much easier with the use of digital tools.

While I have the opportunities, resources and have acquired knowledge on how to use technology to give more value to the work I do and to make life more easy many girls in my community especially the girls with hearing impairment and other vulnerable girls with disabilities are not empowered with these skills and knowledge. Some of them who have struggled to acquire digital tools use them to pose on Facebook only but do not know that they can also use them to look for empowerment opportunities online which will improve on their livelihood. Also, in our Africa context people with disabilities suffer a lot of stigma as most families, caregivers and communities feel that they are no good and wouldn’t waste money empowering or purchasing digital tools for these girls. Getting money to be able to purchase internet connection is also a major problem. Some of these girls suffer a lot of harassment online That is why I am totally committed and passionate in getting girls especially the girls with hearing impairment with whom I work on a daily basis more engaged in using digital tools.

My organization, Association for the Empowerment of the Deaf and Vulnerable Persons, (AEDVP) have been extremely engaged in educating these girls with whom we work on the rights of persons with disabilities especially focusing on their rights as girls in all aspects of life. We have Organized digital trainings in collaboration with other world pulse sisters, collaborating organizations with the same objectives, one on one trainings in our empowerment center and in the communities on how to use technology to advocate for their rights. We are also training them on how to sell their produce online with the knowledge acquired from the trainings, with the

Our goal at our empowerment center is not only to equip deaf and Vulnerable girls with disabilities with livelihood skills but to raise role models and leaders who will be able to positively impact their communities using technology. We teach them how to use their phones to sell their produce such as beaded sandals, powdered soap, bed sheets and other products using tech tools such as Facebook and WhatsApp status especially as many people cannot communicate with them using sign language. We teach them how to stick price tags on the products and advertise online. Customers who do not understand sign language can use text to bargain and buy their products. most of them have become  more self- reliant  financially and incidences of gender based violence on them have reduced. community perceptions about them have changed positively as people can see them posting online. Technology has become their voices reducing the communication gap for consumers who do not understand sign language as they can use text to communicate effectively with them. Technology has made their business more inclusive.

 These girls also use video apps such as Facebook messenger to communicate with other deaf persons. Initially most of them had to use my computer and phone to do all these but lately some of them have been able to acquire their own Android phones and are helping their deaf peers. Also selling online has increased visibility of their products as they have a wider audience.

We also tech these girls how to access educational opportunities, meetings, trainings online and connect with other people with and without disabilities in other areas. I will be forever grateful to the #sheTranformTec featured changemaker that motivated me to launch an initiative on world Pulse on enhancing the economic empowerment of deaf girls using digital tools. All thanks to this initiative I was listed amongst the 21 women leaders to watch in 2021 because they are using technology to impact their community.

The importance of technology on these girls with hearing impairment during the covid19 lock down and coupled with the sociopolitical crises cannot be over emphasized as sales of these products was their only source of livelihood. Although it was almost impossible to have face on meetings, we created a WhatsApp group during which we continued to share challenges, successes, exchange information, opportunities and carry out basic training. These groups were able to accommodate a wider audience thus bringing many more deaf girls together and many more acquired these Knowledge. This is the beauty of technology and the positive impact it can have on many more girls if given the digital empowerment opportunities they need.

Harassment and violence online are always a big call for concern. I have experienced some form of this violence but thank goodness I have had some online training on digital safety use which I constantly discussed with the girls with whom I work. I use a password made up of words, numbers and characters to make it stronger, change my password when I suspect hacking, always sign out after using any online application, not accepting friendship request from people I don’t know, avoiding sites that will expose me to gender-based violence and not exposing my personal information online just to name a few.

The presence of the covid19 coupled with socioeconomic crisis in our context has made more people realize the major role technology plays in our lives, I have become even more passionate to bring this knowledge to many more girls with disabilities. It has motivated and inspired more people to want to acquire skills on how to effectively use technology to function every day.

I recommend digital education and empowerment for girls especially those with any form of disability or Vulnerability, should be taken more seriously by individuals, caregivers, family members, community members and the government. They should not only train these girls but provide them with digital tools especially smart phones that can easily be used by them and also suitable with their disability type. Good and affordable internet should be provided at all time. In so doing technology will make life easier and better for every single girl including our girls living with hearing impairment and disabilities as a whole.