One of the many successes in relation to RYTHM Foundation’s project for the Deaf and Blind Children in collaboration with the ANOPA Project in Ghana is the formation of deaf swimming clubs.
As a differently-abled group, deaf and blind children are highly excluded and discriminated upon in the society. This experience has rendered many inactive, excluded from society and lack many opportunities including their right to quality and special education, limited or no access to sport and lack of participation.
Our program with RYTHM Foundation “Education through Sport for Deaf and Blind Children in Ghana” saw many deaf and blind children having complete access to education through the provision of educational materials, medical assessment and enrollment, payment of school levies, food among others.
With respect to sports, deaf and blind children were introduced to various sporting activities like swimming, volleyball, recreational activities among others. These activities were introduced to make education attractive to these students and equally provide them with the unique opportunity to do participate and stay active. Also, the inclusive nature of these activities helps provide a sense of belongingness and inclusion thereby enhancing acceptance amongst their peers for a greater learning experience, exposure and confidence building.
Through our swimming project for the deaf, ANOPA has been able to form three deaf swimming clubs in Cape Coast making up of forty-five (45) deaf swimmers. Out of this number, fourteen (14) have been selected to represent Ghana in the 6th World Deaf Swimming Championship 2023 in Argentina in August after the signing of an MOU between the ANOPA Project and the Ghana Deaf Sports Federation (GDSF). Under the MOU, these deaf swimmers would again represent Ghana in the 2025 Deaflympics to be held in Japan. We are delighted to say that this will be the first time Ghana would be represented in the Championship in Argentina and the Deaflympics in Japan a feat made possible as a result of the collaboration between ANOPA Project of Ghana and the RYTHM Foundation of Malaysia.
We are extremely grateful to the RYTHM Foundation for having gone the extra mile to further sponsor all the swimming kits /gears during the event in Argentina. We are very thankful to the RYTHM Foundation for believing in everyone including the deaf and the blind. This goes a long way to show that everyone regardless of condition can achieve anything they put their hearts to when given the opportunity and the right support.
Kindly watch this space as we commence training camp for our deaf athletes soon.
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