Category Archives: News

Newsletter 2024 Jan-June

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Further training of technicians and consultation with parents of deaf people

From January 15 to 20, training sessions for technicians and a meeting with Cparents and friends of deaf people took place at the ‘Centre Daniel Gronès pour les sourds’ in Saint Louis.  8 Foyers from the north and south of Senegal were represented, 3 of whom were also charged with their management by their local association of parents and friends of deaf people. A total of 11 technicians took part, of which 8 women took part in the training provided by the AMCRE team. All participating technicians successfully completed their test ‘communication sign language’. In particular, to strengthen the management of the KS program for the deaf in Senegal and its articulation with its local implementers, KS board members also participated.

Cherif Lo’s CRE (Learning Inn) is being restored to its former glory.

Partly with a donation from the UNESCO Center of the Netherlands, the first hand was placed on the Renovation of the Learning Inn in Cherif, where the Learning Inn was included in the municipal heritage. Members of the original Unesco Club from 1998 took the initiative to renew their club with a program of activities. As a first step, it was decided to strengthen the surveillance of the center by admitting a ‘artisan vanier’ who was given a permanent place to make his baskets there. A cottage was built for him where he can work and stay overnight while guarding the Learning Inn without pay. The original building of the Foyer was provided with a new tiled floor and the office received new cupboards for the library, the contents of which are being renewed.

As a second step, in the rainy season (July-September), the still vacant land will be planted with trees for shade and fruit. In addition to the plan to open a kindergarten on this site, a stage and sound system will also be installed with which the UNESCO club will convert this Learning Hostel into a cultural community center.

Consultation between KS and AMCRE

Apart from the founder of the KF with his fixed domicile in Dakar and the yearly visit of the Chairperson, also the secretary, who owns a house in Saly, now regularly meets and consults with the AMCRE management and the team in charge of execution and implementation of projects. Beginning this year, the cooperation agreement between KF and AMCRE was prolonged for another 5 years. In accordance with this agreement, AMCRE evaluates and guides, as an independent Senegalese organisation, project requests as well a KF donations. 

Annually, AMCRE gives an account of tasks executed by the local interested parties and submits to KF as per budget line an application for expected expenses during the next year. After approval by KF, in her autumn meeting, a maximum amount that could be allotted for next year, AMCRE pre-finances approved operations out of her own account. Three to four times a year AMCRE can claim expenses with the KF.  As such, KS has the guarantee, that donations are always spent for which they are destined. AMCRE remains solvent, because they never charge her bank balance in a negative manner. 

Members of KF as well as AMCRE are not remunerated. Both are considered to be “general benefit institutions”, without lucrative purpose.

Newsletter 2024 July – December

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A new brochure about our KS program for the deaf

On April 2, just before Senegal’s national holiday on April 4, a new president was installed. It was an exciting battle that was won by a wide margin by the opposition: Diomaye Faye became president and Ousmane Sonko became prime minister. This team won with the promise to ‘clean house’. To help them with this, KS once again brought its original commitment to all deaf people with the commitment of parents to the attention. After more than twenty years of voluntary commitment, this can now be done by presenting the results achieved in a new version of its brochure.

This provides figures for the end of the 2023-2024 school year as follows:

In addition to the developed and regularly updated curriculum, KS has now assisted 31 local parent associations in the establishment and management of 16 operational Foyers, of which 5 are Foyers with two classes (beginners and advanced). A total of 87 ‘monitors’ have been trained and 870 deaf children (38% girls) have attended the Foyers, the first generation of whom are now functionally integrated into the world of work.

a deaf intern in his workshop

Proposals at the KS Annual Meeting in Schilde

On September 29, the entire board of KS gathered at Bert Schortinghuis in Schilde. The relationship with AMCRE, the Network RFS of Foyers and the government was discussed. For about 20 years, KS and its partners have successfully developed a strategy that opens up access to a full role in the community for all deaf people, through functional literacy, if their parents give the first impetus. In order to continue this development, the local community and the national government must take over the KS subsidies so that it can continue to work on educational methods and guidance. 

The municipality of ‘Tivaouane Peulh” has divided Jan’s land in the “Niayes” for housing. They named this land of over 2 ha: “Lotissement Kemper”. Part of it remains Jan’s property and is allocated for “Equipment”. Jan proposes to build a social “Kempercentrum” here at his own expense, which he will then transfer to the foundation. This centre, with a community room and a library, will not only be able to supervise K1 tasks for the deaf, but will also be able to contribute to the K2 programme ‘better life with acquired knowledge’. 

Land in the Niayes: the part on the left remains with Jan; the part on the right goes to the municipality

Further training of monitors and consultation with parents’ associations

After the first refresher training of ‘monitors’ this year in Saint Louis, the activities were concluded in December with a second refresher training of ‘monitors’ and a consultation with parents of deaf students in Dakar. Foyers from Dakar and the west of Senegal participated in this. The teaching material was expanded this year with sign language used by craftsmen in the business world where some 33 deaf people (recent alumni of our Foyers) found a job.

further training and consultation in Tivaouane Peulh (near Dakar).

Annual Activity Report of the Kemper Foundation 2022

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Introduction

In 2022, the execution of the Kemper Foundation’s activities returned to “normal” after the influence of COVID in previous years. Unfortunately, negotiations with the central government have shown no progress. However, cooperation from local authorities increased considerably and the AMCRE/Kemper Foundation team in Dakar therefore turned to these institutions through deaf parent organizations.

I. Project progress

A. Training deaf children

a) Sign language lessons
The 2021/22 school year began in most homes (deaf training centers) on November 1, 2020 and welcomed 206 students, including 72 girls, distributed among the 16 operational homes. Of this total, 47 were new students. Literacy and sign language classes were taught by 22 instructors appointed by parents and friends of the deaf. In 2022, following the success of 2021, sign language courses were provided for the second year to 100 non-deaf people, such as parents, friends of deaf people and especially primary school students. This occurred in half of all deaf homes, with the number being 88 non-deaf students. Cooperation with primary schools close to homes remained good. Some school principals have even provided a classroom for these lessons in order to promote better communication between hearing and non-hearing students. The fact that some advanced deaf students help their instructor to teach new students also went well in 2022 (“approach to the education of the deaf by the deaf”), with a follow-up sheet for each student.

b) Controls
AMCRE monitoring visits have resumed. Three missions took place: in Diamagene, Malika and Pikine. Inspection visits took place every month, mainly to homes in the suburbs of Dakar. During these visits, the quality of teaching is checked and, where appropriate, the association of parents of deaf people is assisted with advice and assistance. AMCRE staff increasingly works with modern technology: video chats via WhatsApp contact are established with the instructor and with students in order to evaluate the performance of instructors and students and, if necessary, improve them in the training of instructors.

c) Training of instructors
An instructor refresher course took place from December 12 to 17, 2022 in the new AMCRE office, Tivaouane Peuhl, during which 9 instructors from nearby regions were trained. Some parents and friends of deaf people also participated in the course. François Manga and Babacar Seck were the trainers of the instructors. At the end of the course, the instructors were subjected to a test in order to have a certain guarantee of their skills. They should also train other new instructors.

d) Collaboration with public schools close to homes
This collaboration is very important to promote the integration of deaf children into hearing society. Facilitators from several homes for the deaf (Gandiaye, Kaolack, Keur Madiabel, Bignona and Diohine) participated in the “Cellules Pédagogiques” program, organized by teachers to expand primary education with activities of local interest.

e) Cooperation with the government
The Ministry of Education committed at the time (2021) to prepare a new agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Kemper Foundation, in which, in addition to recognizing the work of the Foundation and AMCRE, an amount of government support in costs and collaboration between public primary schools and homes for the deaf, and the making of a video would be recorded. Pending the development of this agreement, AMCRE will now focus on strengthening associations of parents of the deaf and, through them, on a possible contribution from Municipal Services.

f) Educational material
Over the past year, time has been dedicated to preparing a wider variety of educational materials and work that will continue into 2023. A Kemper Foundation promotional video was also produced about the work of literacy of the deaf of the Foundation. This was carried out by Bibvision, based on a scenario developed by Jan, using AMCRE reserve funds. The film aims to further involve the public in this work and to make parents of deaf children understand the importance of education for their children.

g) Work after training
Seven other associations of parents of deaf children have now followed the example of the Keur Madiabel parents’ association: older students are placed in local artisan workshops to learn a trade. This concerns the profession of tailor, hairdresser, wood, metal and aluminum worker, mason, electrician, shoemaker, gardener or restaurateur. AMCRE is working on a statistical representation of these activities.

h) Remuneration of instructors
With the support of the RKWO, most of the compensation paid to instructors is financed by the Kemper Foundation via AMCRE. At the same time, parent associations are reminded by AMCRE that they are the ones who must make the greatest contribution to the payment of instructors in the interest of the continuity of this important work. Unfortunately, in many places it is still difficult for parent associations to achieve this.

B. Live better with the knowledge acquired

This Kemper Foundation program is part of the program of activities of the CREs (Educational Resource Centers) in Senegal. The proposal for the rehabilitation of eligible learning centers was developed by the former president of the Foundation and presented to the National Center for Educational Resources (CNRE).

C. Promotion of reading

After this project had worked well for several years, the library managers of the two localities (Diarère and Ndondol) encountered problems: the books borrowed were no longer returned. As a result, AMCRE felt compelled to ask the Foundation to suspend the supply of new books until this issue was resolved.

D. Strengthening infrastructure (homes for the deaf and CREs)

The construction of a wall around the Gandiaye CRE, tendered in 2021, was completed in 2022. The Gandiaye CRE, built according to the same architecture as the other CREs, is considered a prototype for the future development of homes for deaf. In addition, four applications were received for support for construction projects, two from UNESCO clubs and two from parents’ associations. After review by AMCRE, more details will need to be provided before these projects can be submitted to donors.

II. AMCRE

– AMCRE submitted an activity plan with a budget for 2023. In response, the board of directors of the Kemper Foundation indicated that it would guarantee an amount of up to 43,330 euros. In 2021, the AMCRE secretariat was made up of 2 full-time employees, including the administrator (Nfally Sany Diatta) and 1 intern (Lamine Diallo). In addition, there were two specialists in the deaf project: François Manga and his assistant (Babacar Seck).

– the AMCRE Board of Directors is made up of 5 unpaid members: Babacar Fall (president), Fatou Ndiaye (secretary), Mamadou Hervé Fall (treasurer), Félicité Salzman (2nd treasurer), Aliou Doumbouya (Communication member) and two advisors: Jan de Bosch Kemper (general) and Honorine Fall (accounts).

III. Friends of the Kemper Foundation

The list of Friends of the Foundation now includes around fifty families. Friends of the Foundation in the Netherlands have received a special newsletter about the Foundation and its activities. In France, friends collected an amount of 590 euros in 2022; in the Netherlands it was 549 euros. This represents a total of 1,139 euros from all the friends of the Kemper Foundation.

IV. P.R. activities

– Newsletter: the Foundation Newsletter was published twice in 2022.
– Kemper Foundation website: maintained by the treasurer.

V. Organization and board of directors Kemper Foundation

The board of directors of the Kemper Foundation met on October 9 for the annual meeting in Schilde. Due to high inflation in Senegal, a 10% salary increase for staff was agreed as well as the same increase in pay for volunteers. An amount of 43,330 euros was guaranteed for the 2023 budget presented by AMCRE (this has already been communicated to AMCRE). We noted with gratitude the donation from the municipality of Schilde which was once again obtained thanks to the efforts of Bert, member of the board of directors of the Foundation. Although the exact amount has not yet been announced, we can expect a contribution of around 2000 euros. Kemper Foundation board members Malinda Van Geijtenbeek – de Vos van Steenwijk and Melcher de Bosch Kemper have decided to leave the board in 2022. The candidacy of a new board member , Maaike Smit Sibinga, was approved. On November 10, the Board of Directors officially bid farewell to the former Foundation Treasurer and Public Relations Member, Albert Kuiper, after providing volunteer services to the Kemper Foundation since 2006. On the same occasion, we met Maaike Smit Sibinga. In 2022, President Carla and Foundation Board Member Jan visited Pete and Cherif Lo. Carla, accompanied by secretary Wilma and guest Els Labberton, undertook a mission to Gandiaye, then to Ndondol, Diarère and Pikine. Secretary Wilma and board member Jan attended an AMCRE board meeting in May 2022.

VI. FINANCIAL REVIEW 2022

1. the Kemper Fund

The year 2022 brought a significant loss on the financial markets due to various interest rate increases and the war in Ukraine, which was also unfavorable for the development of the Kemper Fund.

For example, the value of the Kemper Fund on January 1, 2022 was still €482,606.77 and on December 31, 2022 the value had fallen to €405,801.13. Please note that the Kemper Foundation transferred €25,000 from the Kemper Fund to its current account to pay for current projects.

2. Overview of the ABN/AMRO Kemper account

Balance on January 1, 2022 in € 20,942.38

Revenue in €
Contribution GROS SCHILDE 2,495.00
Contribution from the Kemper Fund 25,000.00
RKWO donation 7,500.00
Donation to friends Kemper Foundation 1,139.00
Total income 57,076.38

Expenditure in €
AMCRE declarations 32,933.00
Chamber of Commerce Fee 40.00
Website costs 198.44
Bank and transfer fees 211.85
Book purchase 81.60
Total expenses 33,464.89

Balance as of December 31, 2022 23,611.49

KS Newsletter jul-dec 2023

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Exhibition and annual meeting Kemper Foundation in Schilde

(illustration: Bert with KS stand in Schilde)

After the spring meeting in the Lot (France) in the context of a working week this second meeting of the Kemper Foundation board took place on October 8 in Schilde (Belgium). Work continued here on the new version of the Kemper Foundation website. Regarding our program for the deaf in Senegal, Kemper Foundation efforts were updated in an ‘internal policy document’. This explains Philosophy, Goal, Strategy, Project Design and Organization. Attention is also paid to the role of parents and ‘monitors’ (alphabetiseurs) and how the Kemper Foundation contributes to the financing of this program.

The submitted application (€46,696) for donations to projects and the functioning of AMCRE for 2024 was approved in its entirety. Our foundation also participated with a stand in an exhibition of partners organized by the ‘Municipal Council for Development Cooperation of Schilde’ (GROS), which has been contributing to the Kemper Foundation program for the deaf for many years.

The UNESCO Center Netherlands (UCN) in Amsterdam responded to a request from the UNESCO Club in Cherif Lo (Senegal) for the renovation of its CRE (educational resources center). It was the first to be built there in 1991 with a UCN donation as part of the “Caravan de l’Alphabétisation” (1990-2000). This CRE has now been given a formal place in the municipal property (patrimoine) of the municipality.

Opening of the school year in the Foyers for the deaf

As usual, the 2023-2024 school year opened in the foyers for the deaf in November. This included a new Foyer in Guediawaye (Dakar district). This year, 16 foyers (5 of which had two classrooms) met the conditions for a Kemper Foundation grant, part of which was covered by a donation from RKWO. A total of 42 new deaf students were enrolled, and 148 deaf students continued their courses. Since 2003, the foundation has now served 712 deaf children, of which 266 are girls.

Further training of Monitors and consultation with parents of deaf people

From December 18 to 23, 8 monitors in foyers for the deaf in Dakar and nearby provinces participated in the further training organized on the ground floor of the AMCRE office in Tivaouane Peulh (suburb of Dakar). During this training, the skills of these monitors were also tested and they received a certificate stating this: 2 of them were very good, 2 good and 2 sufficient. 2 monitors failed to complete testing. At the end of this further training, representatives of associations of parents and friends of deaf people also took part.

After a lively presentation, an exchange of experiences took place in which domestic justice was central. A young deaf woman was accused of killing her baby by throwing it into a well. The deaf woman (not a former student of ours) did not understand the story and was desperate. The court had asked one of our trainers to act as a translator of ‘her gestures’. The trainer understood the problem but could not convince the court of her innocence and the woman was sentenced to prison for many years. This incident made it very clear to parents and trainers why we familiarize deaf children with their situation and want to see ‘sign language’ recognized as a ‘legal’ means of communication.
It was also decided to continue the training and further education of monitors more regularly via the internet. To make this possible, resources will have to be strengthened.