Africa-Press – Lesotho. Mafeteng Sign Language Centre (MSLC) celebrated the International Day of Sign Languages yesterday with the aim to, among others, raise awareness to the Ministry of Education and
Training (MoET) of the importance of sign language as a subject and module for both lower and higher learning institutions. The International Day of Sign
Languages is celebrated annually on September 23rd. As part of the celebration, the world celebrates the International Week of the Deaf, which was this year honoured from the 21st to 27th September.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed the day to create awareness of the importance of sign languages, in full realisation of the rights of the deaf.
In an interview with Informative Newspaper MSLC Facilitator and Translator K’hacha Ramokoatsi said the theme was to also raise awareness to the Basotho nation of the importance of
learning and knowing sign language. “When we arrived at the MoET offices we were welcomed by somebody who cannot speak our language therefore, she seemed
too embarrassed to communicate with us, she could merely greet us. It has been years since we proposed the issue of officiating sign language in educational syllabi,
and urged that it should be part of the languages taught in tertiary institutions not only for special education,” Ramokoatsi stated. He said they have started the system in primary schools where they generalised even for
those without disabilities to motivate those living with disability. “With this awareness, we want to reach to every individual. Life is unpredictable, you wake up today
normal tomorrow you get an accident, and stay stuck with a long-term illness that may lead to the impairment of some body parts. Either you are unable to speak
or hear,” he warned. MSLC was established in 2012 following the National Association of the Death Lesotho in 1992. The 23rd September marks the establishment of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), which was declared on 19th December 2019 as the International Day of Sign Languages.
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
