Senegal: With Dieynaba, students who are deaf find their place at school

Senegal has made access to education for all a priority. However, ensuring that deaf children attend school remains a major challenge. Since 2016, HI has been supporting the development of inclusive education through the deployment of teaching assistants in mainstream schools in Dakar and Ziguinchor. Trained in sign language, these support workers play a vital role in helping students who are deaf understand lessons and integrate into the classroom. In Ziguinchor, Dieynaba Coly is one of those who, day in, day out, help to make inclusion a reality.

A career working with children with disabilities

Before becoming a teaching assistant, Dieynaba Coly was the director of a nursery run by the Ziguinchor Regional Union of Organizations for People with Disabilities, a position she had held since 2011. For nearly ten years, she supported children with disabilities, learned to understand their needs, and adapted her support accordingly.

Building on this experience, in 2020 she joined the El Hadj Omar Ndiaye School in Ziguinchor as part of the inclusive education project implemented by HI. Her role is to support deaf children in their educational journey, to promote their success, and to contribute to their educational support. In class, she helps them to better understand the lessons by translating the teacher’s explanations and exercises into sign language.

Facilitating understanding through sign language

Every morning, Dieynaba welcomes the students and helps them get ready for the day. As soon as the teacher begins the lesson, she translates it into sign language.

At each stage of the lesson, she checks that the students have understood by asking them questions. During the exercises, she stays by their side to explain the instructions, while encouraging them to work independently.

When the teacher writes on the board, Dieynaba repeats the signs several times to enable the students to take in the lesson and revise it on their own at home. In the afternoon, after lessons, she goes over any points they haven’t understood and re-explains difficult concepts.

“The work of a teaching assistant is very important because, without us, these children wouldn’t be able to keep up in class, given that most teachers don’t know sign language. Seeing these little ones succeed is a great source of satisfaction,” says Dieynaba.

Support that extends into the home

Dieynaba’s work extends beyond the school setting. She also carries out home visits to assess the children’s home environment and ensure that it supports their development and well-being. She explains the children’s needs to their parents and supports them in their role as parents, helping to ensure greater continuity between home and school.

She emphasises the importance of supportive guidance that encourages the child’s independence rather than doing things for them. This support is essential, as most parents do not have an understanding of conventional sign language. Without this link, deaf children risk becoming isolated or misunderstood once they return home.

“We visit families to ensure that everything is going well in the child’s environment, and we explain the children’s needs. We explain to parents that they need to be flexible and understanding towards their child and teach them to be independent,” explains Dieynaba.

A success story: Hassane

Among the students supported by Dieynaba, Hassane Ndiaye is a prime example of the importance of this program. When he arrived at El Hadj Omar Ndiaye School in 2022, he had not yet mastered the standard sign language used in the school curriculum and was apprehensive about this new environment.

Dieynaba guided him every step of the way: she taught him sign language, helped him settle into school and worked with his parents to involve them in his learning, encouraging them to support their child. Over time, Hassane has made great progress. He has gained confidence, started interacting with his classmates, and is participating more in class.

“At first, he was very shy; he didn’t know the sign language used in class and would have anxiety attacks. Now, he chats with his friends, participates in class, and his results have improved significantly. He’s thriving socially too.” Dieynaba Coly, shared about Hassane.

Now in Year 6, Hassane is among the top 10 students in his class. He does his homework on his own, plays with his classmates, and communicates using conventional sign language.

Since 2016, HI has been supporting the roll-out of the school support assistant program in several primary and secondary schools in Dakar and Ziguinchor. This program forms part of an inclusive education project, which is also being implemented in Togo and Madagascar. Over eight years, more than 10,000 people have benefited from it, nearly half of whom are girls. The project has helped to strengthen the children’s socialization, independence, and self-esteem. It has improved understanding of disability within families, schools, and communities, reducing prejudice and discriminatory practices. The project has also strengthened the capacity of teachers and other education stakeholders to implement inclusive teaching practices, while improving the physical and educational accessibility of schools. Finally, it has fostered better collaboration between the education, health, and social protection sectors, contributing to a more comprehensive approach to meeting children’s needs and to the strengthening of institutional mechanisms in support of sustainable inclusive education.