The Centre for the Deaf in Central Darfur’s Zalingei town is the only facility of its kind providing formal education for deaf students in the area, with more than 60 students currently enrolled.

The students are taught how to write and use sign language. They come from nearby camps for internally displaced persons as well as from Zalingei town and surrounding villages, according to a report by the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day.

Hanan Bakhit, a 12-years-old, and Khadiga Taha Rezegalla, a 16-years-old, both from Hamediya camp for displaced persons, say that this is the only form of education they receive because the other schools in the camp are not able to accommodate students with a disabilities, especially the ones with a hearing loss.

The founder of the school is Talib Eldean Adam Idries, who was born deaf and learned how to communicate at a school for deaf people in Khartoum. He recalls that many other children with his disability were not accepted in formal education and instead worked in farming.

“They are sometimes marginalized and segregated within their own communities,” he said.

Now Idries is the director of the Zalingei centre, which he proudly describes as both a “home” and a “school” for the deaf students.

However, the centre faces some challenges. There is only one text book available for all the students due to its high cost.

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