Sexual education for deaf girls, boys and teenager

Clarissa is a GlobalGiving In-the-Field Volunteer. She is visiting GlobalGiving's projects in South America and writing postcards to donors to let them know how their donations are helping there. Read other postcards from the field here: http://www.globalgiving.org/inthefield/.

ARGENTINA'S DEAF COMMUNITY: DID YOU KNOW?
There are approximately 400,000 deaf people in Argentina, many of which are children under the age of 15. Despite its size, Argentina's deaf community still lacks the services needed to succeed, including schools for the hearing-impaired, interpretors in hospitals, and educational materials to help them learn and grow. As a result, a majority of deaf people are illiterate, do not know how to properly care for themselves, and are often forced to rely on their families members - many of which do not know how to sign.

A MEANS FOR CHANGE: CANALES
Canales Associacion Civil, however, is looking to change the status quo! The 12 person staff, works tirelessly to improve the quality of life for the deaf community. I had the opportunity to meet with Silvana Veinberg, Founder and Director of Canales, to learn more about the innovative work they are doing.

Having worked with the deaf community for over 25 years, Silvana has a strong understanding of what is needed to help this group of people, specifically women and children, operate independently in the real world. She and her team believe the key to transforming Argentina's deaf community is through offering access to quality education, care, and services.

To achieve this goal, Canales focuses on the creation and distribution of comprehensive educational videos and books for the deaf community. These materials cover a gamut of topics, including caring for yourself and your children, the history of Argentina, and understanding your rights. Each learning tool is carefully planned for, beautifully done, vetted by experts in the field, and reviewed by a deaf audience. Upon completion, the materials are distributed to all of the provinces in Argentina, ensuring access regardless of location and economic standing. Often times, these materials are the ONLY educational resources available to deaf students, pregnant women, and hearing-relatives hoping to better communicate with their deaf family member. Consequently, they are crucial to the ongoing success of the deaf community and are in high demand!

In addition to developing new materials, Canales also hosts workshops to teach educators how to sign and to train sign language instructors how to host workshops of their own. This further promotes bilingual education and utilizes community networks to strength support for deaf people throughout Argentina.

YOUR SUPPORT:
Canales' most recent project was the creation of a book to teach deaf men and women how to plan and care for their family. It is packed with information about sexual health, how to prevent transmission of STDs, how to care for a newborn, and how to communicate with hearing and non-hearing children. In addition, the book includes interactive CDs which narrate the text in Spanish, Argentine sign language, and even includes Spanish subtitles. As a result, people with all different needs and levels of literacy can benefit from the information. In many cases, this is the only resource of it's kind in a community, even in the local hospitals!

I had the opportunity to read through the book and watch much of the video and it is truly an amazing tool! Silvana explained that the materials were recently distributed in November and in the coming months Canales will followup with beneficiaries to determine the
book's impact.

SO, WHAT'S NEXT AND HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Great question! Canales is already planning the creation of a virtual library for deaf children to further increase access to educational materials. The interactive site will allow children to select from a range of book which would then be narrated in sign language. As the virtual pages turn, children will be able to improve their signing skills, increase their vocabulary, and learn about new topics. It is an exciting new venture and a project worthy of ongoing support, so keep an eye out for it in the coming months!

If you haven't already thought to click the donate button, please think again! Canales is a truly innovative organization that is having a tremendous impact throughout Argentina. BUT, there is still work to be done and your ongoing support can make a world of difference! So, perhaps for today, forfeit your venti cafe mocha, and opt instead to provide health education to a woman in Argentina!