1 Mustard Seed Program Concept paper for a preschool program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Uganda – A Program for Speech and Language Development: Contact persons: Eddie Mukaaya Parent of deaf Child Telephone: 617-230-7926 Email address: [email protected]Carrie Brollier, M.S. Teacher of the Deaf Telephone: 508-404-5773 Email address: [email protected]
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Mustard Seed Program
Concept paper for a preschool program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Uganda –
III. To enable students to improve receptive language skills by recognizing various language
elements including nouns/pronouns, verbs, adjectives/adverbs, prepositions when presented
through spoken language or through spoken language with sign support
IV. To enable students to improve expressive language skills by using various language elements
including nouns/pronouns, verbs, adjectives/adverbs, prepositions
V. To instruct students in articulation of vowels in isolation, reduplicated and differentiated
syllables, and within words
VI. To instruct students in articulation of consonants in isolation, on the syllable level, on the word
level in all word positions, and in phrases
C. Parent Support and Outreach Program
Parent support is an integral component to the ministry of the Mustard Seed Program. With
implementation of parent education, families will be given information regarding hearing loss,
instruction on how to communicate with their children, lessons for learning sign support of spoken
English, workshop opportunities to continue language and academic education in the home, technical
advice about caring for equipment, and practical information for managing behavior in a positive way.
Through parent and community education, the Mustard Seed School Program hopes to counteract
persistent social views regarding deafness to promote long-term change for deaf individuals in Uganda.
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Parent Support and Outreach Program Objectives
I. To demonstrate the love of Christ through the care and support of deaf children and their families
II. To promote and offer support to parents and families of deaf and hard of hearing children
III To work to demystify the cultural stigma and beliefs associated with deafness by empowering
the parents with information regarding hearing loss.
IV. To provide monthly parent workshops in order to deepen understanding of their child’s
audiology, language, and academic needs
V. To instruct parents in ongoing development of skills in use of Signing Exact English
VI. To empower parents to advocate for themselves and their children in the community
VII. To cultivate relationships with area churches in order to develop awareness of deafness and needs
associated with hearing loss
D. Staff Development
In order to maintain progress in program areas, it is additionally necessary to provide encouragement
and training for staff members working in the Mustard Seed School Program. The following goals have
been developed to ensure the ongoing support and development of staff skills:
Staff Training and Mentoring Objectives
I. To maintain spiritual support of staff members through prayer and Scriptural studies as a group
II. To provide daily collaboration time for all staff members to brief/debrief ongoing program and
student goals
III. To provide opportunities for mentorship to staff members who are not specifically trained in
working with deaf and hard of hearing students so they can attend to language, academic, and
equipment needs of students
IV. To seek continuing education in the field of deaf education for all staff
5. ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES
At the end of three years, the Mustard Seed School Program seeks to achieve the following:
I. Present the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to children who are deaf and their families
II. Establish fully fledged early intervention and pre-primary program for deaf or hard of hearing
children in Uganda under the age of 6 years old
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III. Create firm support system and network for families of children with hearing loss
IV. Provide accessible auditory-oral therapy with English sign support for communication
V. Refer for audiology services, including acquisition of hearing aids to students with hearing loss
VI. Advocate for the welfare of deaf and hard of hearing children in Uganda
VII. Create awareness for abilities and needs of children with hearing loss to transform social
perceptions of deafness
VIII. Build moral and social support system for children who are deaf through Encouragement and
advocacy of parents
6. PROGRAM STAFFING AND MANAGEMENT
The Mustard Seed School program will consist of a team of eight well-trained and motivated
professionals. The team will include a program director, two teachers of the deaf, a speech language
pathologist, a social worker, an administrative office manager, and two teacher assistants. Initial
recruitment of the teachers of the deaf and speech language pathologist will occur internationally, as
Uganda does not yet have such personnel available. This team will work under close guidance by the
Mustard Seed School council in Uganda and a Board of Trustees that will be constituted in the United
States of America. See section 11 Appendix I Fig. I
A Board of Trustees will govern the program. The role of the Board will be to establish a strategic
direction for the program, identify funding sources, monitor program finances, and establish policies that
support the long-term vision of the program. The Board will be organized in the USA and will
collaborate with the Mustard Seed School Council in Uganda; this school council will consist ideally of
a medical doctor, a lawyer, an educator, a social worker, and two parent representatives. The Council
will oversee the implementation and continuance of the program and will offer guidance and supervision
to the staff team of professionals in Uganda who will be responsible for the daily operations of the
program. The Mustard Seed School Program staff will consist of the following positions:
Program Director
Roles and Responsibilities
Plan and coordinate all programming activities necessary to fulfill program goals and objectives
Ad hoc member of the Council
Provide regular reports to the governing Board and advise the Board on status and direction of
the program
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Work as a public relations officer to link the program to the community and local authorities
Act as principal accounting officer for the program, responsible for budgeting and day to day
maintenance of program finances
Teacher of the Deaf (one during first year, two during additional two years)
Roles and responsibilities
Plan and implement teaching activities for the pre-primary to help develop student auditory,
speech, language, academic, emotional, and social skills
Share responsibilities with the Speech Language Pathologist for the planning and instruction of
children and families attending the toddler play group
Mentor and train teachers and teaching assistants in working with deaf and hard of hearing
children in Uganda
Assist in management of hearing technology in the classroom
Assess student progress through formal and informal means
Provide quarterly reports to the Program Director regarding student progress
Contribute to parent trainings and workshops as indicated by the Program Director
Speech Language Pathologist (one)
Roles and responsibilities
Plan and implement auditory, speech, and language activities for small group instruction to
encourage development of these skills in pre-primary students
Collaborate with classroom teacher(s) to aid in inclusion of speech therapy strategies during
large group instruction
Share responsibilities with the teacher(s) of the deaf for the planning and instruction of children
and families attending the toddler play group
Mentor and train speech language pathologists in working with deaf and hard of hearing children
in Uganda
Assess student progress through formal and informal means
Provide quarterly reports to the Program Director regarding student progress
Contribute to parent trainings and workshops as indicated by the Program Director
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Social Worker
Roles and responsibilities
Act as liaison between parents community and the school program to develop plans to ensure
individual students social and academic development
Contribute to parent trainings and workshops as indicated by the Program Director
Offer counseling services to parents and other family members
Work with families to find other services needed for the well-being of the students
Coordinate advocacy and community awareness activities of the program
Work as advocate for and protect vulnerable students in their homes
Help parents and families understand and cope with the diagnosis of their children and to make
necessary family adjustment.
Teaching Assistant (two)
Roles and responsibilities
Will be recruited locally and trained to work in the Mustard Seed School Program
Assist teacher in pre-primary classroom instruction and maintenance
Assist teacher or speech language pathologist in toddler playgroup
Assist teacher in progress monitoring
Provide child care during parent trainings and workshops
Administrative Office Manager
Roles and responsibilities
Maintain accurate records for bookkeeping and financial management
Maintain accurate records for student enrollments
Properly file all reports and paperwork regarding student progress
Draft cover letters for programming updates to the Board
Work closely with the Program Director on administrative duties such as completing program
reports, writing outreach letters to local professionals, compiling financial data for account and
reporting purposes
Order supplies as indicated by the Program Director
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7. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AND SCHEDULE
The Mustard Seed School Program will develop an agenda to meet programming objectives. The
following activities will be accomplished to ensure proper coordination and maintenance of the
program:
a) Select governing Board in the USA
b) Fundraising and resource mobilization
c) Recruit staff and volunteers where necessary
d) Seek legal operations permit for international staff
e) Establish and furnish school premises
f) Enact community awareness campaigns
g) Screen prospective students for enrollment (includes audiology screening)
h) Admit qualified students to program
i) Instruct students in toddler play group and pre-primary classroom
j) Train teachers and speech language pathologist
k) Coordinate parent workshops and meetings
l) Maintain advocacy and outreach services
For further elaboration of this the program activities please refer to the activity schedule in Appendix II
8. PROGRAM BUDGET
For proper management of all Mustard Seed School Program activities, the program will operate on an
annual budget that must be approved and reviewed by the Board quarterly. An initial 3-year budget
included in Appendix IV reflects projected costs of starting and maintaining the program for the first
three educational years. While research and discussion has led us to the most accurate representation of
financial needs possible, some flexibility should allow for unforeseen expenses, inflation increases, and
programming alterations that must be adjusted to meet the needs of the student population. It will be the
responsibility of the Program Director and Board members to discuss and vote on any budgetary
recalculations required. In addition, a preliminary budget has been estimated by the Mustard Seed Team
to cover expenditures prior to student enrollment. During this estimated 4-month launch period,
Mustard Seed team members will travel to Uganda to lay program groundwork prior to directly
providing community and educational services. This work will include establishing a program site,
altering classroom and therapy spaces as needed, ordering educational and administrative supplies,
engaging with audiology and pediatric staff to discuss program goals and offerings, assessing potential
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students for enrollment, establishing curriculum guidelines for all areas of programming (early
intervention, pre-primary, community outreach), and training staff. The final estimated budget for the
launch team is $18,305. The estimated cost of the first three years of operations is $639,746.
9. Sustainability and Future Development
We envision Mustard Seed program to grow and expand all program areas as well as increase
partnership with Medical Facilities, Universities and other organizations to build a fully fledged
audiology and rehab facility in Uganda where parents and their deaf infants can find hope and affordable
remedy for the ongoing audiology services.
As regards student services, we hope to provide services to children younger than 2 years old and to
their families, further enabling parents to communicate with their children early and to provide families
with emotional support and practical resources after their children are diagnosed with hearing loss. As
the school population continues to grow, we will increase the number of classrooms available for student
education, possibly allowing for educational services to children on the primary/elementary school level.
Additionally we hope that through the mentoring strategy of the program, we’ll have mentored more
teachers Speech and Language Pathologists on the ground to increase the local recruitment base of
professionals with apt expertise in deaf education.
Continued relationships with medical professionals and therapists is a vital component for the program
as students require ongoing audiology services including hearing testing and hearing aid programming
and adjustments Given the listening and spoken language focus of the program, children with profound
deafness may benefit more substantially from the use of cochlear implant systems than from hearing
aids alone. We therefore plan to explore the medical community’s involvement with these endeavors,
possibly advising in the development of a pediatric cochlear implant site in Uganda. Finally,
relationships with universities in both the United States of America and Uganda will provide
opportunities for ongoing partnerships, allowing university and graduate level students to work
alongside staff members in The Mustard Seed Program. This partnership will develop necessary skills
for interns while providing The Mustard Seed Program with access to outside resources and current
educational research. In all things, we will submit to the Lord’s will as we pray for guidance with all
future endeavors.
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10. Conclusion
Our mission is to demonstrate the love of Christ by ministering to a stigmatized and neglected
population. Through provision of educational and support services, we seek to teach these children and
the larger community about the hope and joy found in the Lord. With this at the core of our mission,
guiding all our actions, the Mustard Seed Program will establish early intervention services and pre-
primary education for children with hearing loss in and around Kampala, Uganda. Through use of
hearing aid amplification and specialized services including instruction by a teacher of the deaf and
speech language pathologist, pre-primary students will learn to communicate using spoken language
with gradually decreasing sign support. This unique spoken language emphasis will prepare children to
learn and function alongside their hearing peers. Additionally, children as young as 2 years old will
benefit from hearing aid amplification and a weekly play group facilitated by either a teach of the deaf
or speech language pathologist. The pre-primary school and early intervention programs will provide
essential opportunities for children to establish communication abilities during the critical age of
language development. Staff will provide education, training and counseling services to parents, thereby
helping to counteract persistent, negative views of deafness in that region, and empowering parents to
advocate for their children. To aid in the success of these services, a team of professionals will work
with A Board of Trustees based in the United States a School Council based in Uganda. . As the
program progresses, we will continue to seek the Lord’s guidance regarding future visions that, at this
time, include increased services for children and their families, as well as increased collaboration with
medical professional and partnerships with universities. It is the passion of the Mustard Seed Program
to enthusiastically share the love of Christ and our love for Christ through ministering to the needs of
children with hearing loss in Uganda, to joyfully embrace their families and provide them with support
and resources, and counteract the negativity of the larger community by demonstrating that these
children can learn to communicate, that they can access education, and – most importantly – that they
are wholeheartedly, unfailingly loved by a truly gracious God.
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11. Appendices Appendix 1: Program structure
Mustard Seed Program School Council
Program Director
Speech and Language pathologist
Preschool teachers
Administration manager
Children, parents and the community
Mustard Seed Program Board of Trustees
Social Worker
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Appendix II: Figure II: Periodic representation of the implementation plan. Program Activity Year 2013 2014 2015 2016 Mobilizing and Selection of committee Seeking for permits of operation and other logistics
Establishing of the school location Fundraising Monitoring and Evaluation Furnishing the school premise with appropriate facilities
Recruiting and hiring of staff Students’ enrollment Teaching and rehabilitating children at the center
Parents group meeting and support seminars Training of teachers and speech therapist locally
Community outreach and awareness campaigns
Appendix III: Activity time line for August 2013 – July 2014 August 2013
• Launch Team travels to Uganda • Visiting other deaf schools • Meeting of prospective school committee • Search for school premises
September • Establishing the location of the school premise • Process of securing operational permits from the local authorities • Establishing the school committee in Uganda • Visiting of other deaf schools • Evaluation
October • Committee meeting • Advertising of the school program • Evaluation
November • Advertising of the school program • Working on the school curriculum • Committee meeting • Recruitment of Staff • Evaluation
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December o Training of Staff o Recruitment and selection of students o Open house at the school premise o Preparation for the start of the school program o Committee meeting
January • Official starting of the pre-primary program • Teaching of Students an • Start of monthly Parents meeting • Committee meeting
February
• Teaching of students and training of teachers • Conducting of regular formative evaluation • Monthly parents’ meeting
March
• Teaching of students • Monthly parents meeting • Committee meeting
April • Spring break • Monthly parents meeting
May • Committee meeting • Monthly
June • Parents meetings
July • Committee meeting • First awareness campaign • Hearing test clinic
Appendix IV: Budget
Launch Budget
Program Activity Rate in Rate in
Quantity Year ZERO
Budget Item Unit Type UGX USD
Summer/fall Launch Trip
Travel costs Air tickets 6250000 2500 3 7500 Accommodation 5 days in a motel for three 95,000 45 15 675
Meals 30000 12 15 180
Host families monthly 500000 200 6 1200 Transportation Taxis for five days 100000 40 5 200
Car purchase 12,500,000 5,000 1 5,000 Communication Phones/services 50000 20 12 240
Internet Monthly 299000 120 3 360
Health and Medical insurance Annual 625000 250 3 750 Administration Visa for two 22500 150 2 300
Work permits for two 1125000 450 2 900
Monthly Contingencies 625000 250 4 1000
Total Launch Budget 18,305
Program Budget Rate in Rate in Year 3 Year 2 Year 3 Subtotal
Program Activity Activity description Unit Type UGX USD Quantity Cost USD Cost USD Cost USD Budget
Establishments
Looking for house/ realty Unit 2,500,000
1,000
1
1,000
-
-
1,000
Rent Monthly 3,750,000
1,500
12
18,000
18,000
18,000
54,000
Licensing and registration of the school Annual 3,000,000
1,200
1
1,200
-
-
1,200
Sub total 20,200
18,000
18,000
56,200
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Furnishing the premise/other
Supplies
Furniture Unit 6,250,000
2,500
1
2,500
-
-
2,500
Sound Field System Unit 6,250,000
2,500
1
2,500
2,500
-
5,000
Insulation: walls and floors Unit 5,500,000
2,200
2
4,400
2,200
2,200
8,800
Ceiling Insulation Unit 2,000,000
800
1
800
-
-
800
Outdoor play facility Unit 5,000,000
2,000
1
2,000
-
-
2,000
Desk top computer Unit 1,250,000
500
3
1,500
500
500
2,500
Backup Hard drive and Accessories Unit 750,000
300
1
300
100
100
500
Multipurpose Photocopier PC 3,000,000
1,200
1
1,200
300
300
1,800
Estimated Shipping Costs 20' container 10,000,000
4,000
1
4,000
-
-
4,000
Mats Unit 1,250,000
500
1
500
-
-
500
Sub total 19,700
5,600
3,100
28,400
Students and teaching
Student tuition Per student 1,875,000
750
20
15,000
15,000
15,000
45,000
Meals for students Weekly 625,000
250
40
10,000
10,000
10,000
30,000
Paper and other stationary supply Monthly 750,000
300
12
3,600
1,200
1,200
6,000
Developing Library facility Unit 3,250,000
1,300
1
1,300
500
500
2,300
Materials and teaching aids and toys Annual 6,250,000
2,500
1
2,500
1,250
1,250
5,000
Committee meetings Quarterly 375,000
150
4
600
600
600
1,800
Outreach and parent seminars Per term 750,000
300
3
900
900
900
2,700
Staff meals and snacks Weekly 625,000
250
40
10,000
10,000
10,000
30,000
Testing /making molds equipment Annual 310,000
124
12
1,488
1,488
1,488
4,464
20
Batteries Monthly 300,000
120
12
1,440
1,440
1,440
4,320
Otoscope Unit 187,500
75
1
75
75
75
225
Sub Total 46,828
42,378
42,378
131,584
Administration
Working permits for professionals Annual 1,125,000
450.00
3
1,350
-
-
1,350
Travel costs for professionals Annual 6,250,000
2,500
3
7,500
7,500
7,500
22,500
Internet and Telephone services Monthly 1,125,000
450
12
5,400
5,400
5,400
16,200
Utilities and other services Monthly 625,000
250
12
3,000
3,000
3,000
9,000
Estimated Gas and Mechanic Costs Monthly 1,125,000
450
12
5,400
5,400
5,400
16,200
Accommodations for professionals Monthly 2,500,000
1,000
12
12,000
12,000
12,000
36,000
Furnishing of Accommodation apartment One time
10,000,000 4,000
1
4,000
-
-
4,000
Security services at school and home Monthly 750,000