Government, in collaboration with eKitabu Malawi, has launched a project that supports children with hearing challenges to succeed in early learning.
The initiative, titled “Scaling Inclusive Early Learning with Deaf Children,” was officially launched on Friday by the Deputy Minister of Gender, Halima Daud.
Funded by the Global Partnership for Education, the project will run for 33 months and aims to reach more than 250 children across 11 schools.
Daud emphasised the urgent need for inclusion and visibility.
“This project is very important for Malawi. It will help bring visibility and inclusivity to deaf children—many of whom are often ignored simply because people don’t know how to communicate with them.”
Betty Wisiki Kalitera, Senior Manager of eKitabu Malawi, echoed this concern, highlighting the lack of accessible resources for Deaf learners.
“Many parents in Malawi don’t know how to communicate with their Deaf child. This leaves the child feeling isolated.
Our mission is to change that—to empower families and schools with the tools they need to support deaf children from the very beginning.”
The initiative brings together a wide network of stakeholders—including caregivers, parents, community leaders, and district Early Childhood Development (ECD) coordinators—to create sign language-rich environments.
The goal is to ensure that deaf children are not only included in classrooms but are also able to thrive.
“We plan for our teachers to work hand in hand with communities to ensure every child is fully supported. By the time these children enter Standard 1, they’ll be prepared to learn and participate like any other child,” Kalitera added.
A key component of the project is the deployment of specially trained Deaf Facilitators (DFs) to the participating schools.
These facilitators will work closely with teachers, parents, and children—helping families learn sign language and supporting the academic and emotional development of Deaf learners.
