The Ethiopia Deaf Experience is a project aimed at creating positive awareness about deafness, deaf culture, and sign language in Ethiopia. We also strive to create opportunities for employment and self-reliance for deaf people and their communities.
Deaf workshops
A group of Deaf actors give frequent workshops to hearing people about deafness, Deaf Culture, and Sign Language. Participants can experience how it feels like to be deaf, by using earphones and other materials and how to use non-verbal communication. The workshops are very educative and great fun for young and old. We can adjust the workshop to several target groups like schools, government agencies, companies (team building programs), tourists, and individuals.
Deaf Workshops for adults
• General Workshops and Tourists
We offer workshops about non-verbal communication and sign language for everybody who is interested. The workshops offer a general introduction with deafness in Ethiopia, sign language and non-verbal communication. Through fun and exciting assignments participants will be challenged to communicate without using their voice. We can organize the workshops at any time for any audience. We can adjust the workshop specifically for tourists with more emphasis on Ethiopian culture and history.
• Team Building Program
We offer extensive team building programs for companies and all kinds of government and non-government organizations. The participants will experience what it feels like to be deaf and through different ‘hands on’ assignments they will learn basic skills in sign language and non- verbal communication, while bringing the team together in a fun and educative way.
Deaf Workshops for Children
In cooperation with SPARK Ethiopia we have adjusted the workshops to children, specifically in school settings. Our team of Deaf actors can visit schools to provide a 40 minute ‘deaf experience’ and present the basics of sign language and non-verbal communication to the children, while creating positive awareness about Deafness, sign language, and Deaf Culture. The workshops can also be customized.
The Ethiopia Deaf Experience started in 2013 when a group of Deaf youth from The Netherlands visited Ethiopia to learn about the local Deaf Culture. This was part of a cultural exchange program that was funded by the Dutch government (SBOS subsidy). In 2014, this program was repeated and it released a lot of energy and inspiration from both the Dutch and Ethiopian participants. The subsidy ended in 2016, but some participants decided to continue and applied for a European subsidy (Erasmus Plus). That was granted and in the next two years groups of Deaf youth and Deaf professionals came from The Netherlands and Norway to Ethiopia to provide training and cultural exchange activities. Among which were training in drama and acting, cooking, and hospitality management.
In 2018, all public financing came to an end, and the Dutch social enterprise The Long Trail took over the project. The aim was to develop the programs in a way they could sustain themselves while not being dependent on charity. The Long Trail takes responsibility for the project management, coordination with the local partners, and fundraising. In Ethiopia the project is managed by Dires for Development Charitable Association, an official Ethiopian charity that takes care of the local logistics and arrangements.
For more information about our workshops for individuals, tourists, and corporate team building programs, school programs and bookings, please contact us!
Written by: Heran Tadesse
Email: info@ethiopiadx.com
+251-912 40 76 36 / +251-929 11 21 70
What’s App / TeleGram: +31642274229
Website: www.ethiopiadx.com
