JMN Poly partners Nkomwa Foundation Trust to capacitate lecturers
JMN Poly partners Nkomwa Foundation Trust to capacitate lecturers
July 28, 2022
Monitor Beloved Ncube
Choice News Africa
Gwanda – Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic has joined hands with Nkomwa Foundation Trust, a Matabeleland South based organisation that deals with capacitation and training activities in issues to do with disability awareness and sign language.
JMN Polytechnical Institute, has been for years experiencing challenges in enrolling people with disabilities in their establishment. The decision taken by the institution is a step towards the right direction, as partnering with Nkomwa Foundation Trust will confidently capacitate the staff members.
Nkomwa Foundation Trust (NFT) in partnership with Sunrise Sign Language Academy (SSLA) teamed to capacitate the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic staff, with sign language training, which was also collaborating with disability awareness mentoring.
The Nkomwa Foundation Trust, (NFT), is a disability led community based organisation operating in Zimbabwe, promoting the rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs), at the same time contributing towards creating communities that embrace PWDs as equal human beings
SSLA is an academy that imparts knowledge to people by communication using sign language. It was founded by Douglas Mapeta after he realized that the communication gap by the time he was visiting his hospitalized son was wide. This prompted him to establish a sign language seminary for bridging the communication gap.
In an interview with Choice News Africa recently, Mr Mapeta clarified the purpose of meeting as to capacitate lecturers so that they become the owners of the language, and that they will also disseminate to trainee teachers who will pass it to children in their respective schools.
Sixty-five lecturers including staff members were capacitated in sign language skills development, which is composed of created twelve modules, which are alphabet, numbers, days of the week, months of the year, colors, animals, countries, health, transport, fruits, cities and towns.
Sign language grammar, commonly known as signed English was also part of the training material. Apart from sign language training, the participants were educated on retirement plan and time management.
Mr Pick Nkomwa, the Executive Director for Nkomwa Foundation Trust, did a presentation on disability awareness that touched on types disability, disability terminology, models of disability and the National Disability Policy to mention but a few.
“On behalf of my organization I am so humbled by the overwhelming response of the JMN Polytechnic staff and all the support rendered by the management. I hope our partnership will continue as we serve the community.
I appreciate the support our organization is receiving from the umbrella body, Federation of Organization of Disabled People in Zimbabwe (FODPZ) for the training materials and the technical support.
I hope our capacitation will be the beginning of change as far as disability issues are concerned at this high learning institution. Our organisation is open for partnership.” Said Pick Nkomwa Director of NFT and Vice Chairperson of the FODPZ Mat South Advocacy Committee.
JMN principal, also applauded the partnership for a job well-done, as he expressed satisfactory in presentations made during all the training sessions, by the two organisations.
“In my view I would really say it is a historic event for us, when we started, I did not think it was such a big event, but I am realizing it now. From the few sessions that I have attended, I am saying, as an institution, avenues are now open for us.
We can grow in this sign language business, even bigger than SSLA and NFT. I am really enthusiastic, it is an empowerment opportunity for lecturers as individuals and for the institution’s staff development,” said DR. N. Moyo, JMN Polytechnic Principal.
