Meet sister Mary Josephine, who is bridging the gap for communication between the hearing impaired and the community.

Sister Josephine currently serves as a principal at Matter Dei Nakuru Hospitality College.

Initially in the process of doing marketing for the institution in informal settlements across Nakuru, Josephine says that she realized special needs individuals were left out, with the assumption that they are unable to carry out normal life activities.

"I realized that most of them were denied the opportunity to do life and were being misused,” says Josephine.

Having a background in Kenya Sign Language, Josephine has been training the persons with disabilities in different counties.

After moving to Nakuru, she mentions that she encouraged some of the special needs individuals with hearing impairment she met in the slums to join the institution and learn a few skills which would enable them be self-reliant and dependable to themselves.

Post to teaching and empowering the special needs students with skills, she helps in ensuring that the students acquire attachment in different institutions across Nakuru County.

Josephine intervenes as a counsellor to the special needs people.

“Aside from my daily lecturing duties, I counsel the deaf as this creates a safe space for them to share some of the challenges they go through,” Josephine adds.

She has also impacted and taught other individuals to become lecturers, in order to increase the reach to teach more special needs students.

Additionally, Josephine serves as an interpreter where she interprets in churches.

She narrates; “After interaction with the special needs, a concern was raised by the hearing impaired that there were no interpreters in church, making them feel left out. I therefore took a step further in ensuring that they are engaged in church services.”

Last Sunday, Josephine stood out when interpreting marriage vows for a couple with hearing impairment.

“A setback we've encountered is the stigmatization towards the special needs students, having the notion that they cannot take a role in the community,” notes Josephine.

She adds that there still is a challenge in numbers of the Kenyan Sign Language interpreters in Nakuru.

Josephine continues to play an important role in Nakuru City in her effort to create and support the special needs community.

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Nun breaks communication barrier for the hearing impaired in church

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Mercy Protas