It has been a busy summer, with continued progress in our work to expand educational opportunities for deaf children in Ethiopia and Uganda. For those who may be new to TLC Global, we are the separately funded international outreach partner of The Learning Center for the Deaf. We work with local partners in countries where most deaf children have little or no access to language or education. Without early access to language, deaf children can face profound barriers to learning, development and participation in their communities.

Our approach is to work with strong local organizations to build programs that can grow and become sustainable over time. This summer, our focus has been on two projects: supporting the rapidly growing Visions Academy School for the Deaf in Hawassa, Ethiopia, and launching a new partnership with Nyaka Global in southwestern Uganda.

The Need Is Enormous

Sources: World Health Organization (2026), United Nations/World Federation of the Deaf, and UNICEF (2019). Click the highlighted statistics for references.

Our work begins with a simple but essential belief, backed by science: language is the foundation for learning. Every deaf child deserves the opportunity to communicate, learn, and reach their full potential.

We partner with schools and organizations in underserved regions to provide teacher training, curriculum development, and classroom strategies designed specifically for deaf learners. Our approach draws on the bilingual model developed at The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC), which emphasizes early and consistent access to language as the foundation for academic and social development.

By working directly with local educators and communities, we focus on building sustainable educational programs and local expertise that will continue to benefit deaf children for many years into the future.

A Growing Partnership in Hawassa, Ethiopia

Visions Academy began formal classes in 2023 and has already grown to over 100 students, from kindergarten through 6th grade. More than 30 students live on campus due to barriers; mainly related to transportation and distance. We are pleased by the progress the students are making. The school recently reported that its kindergarten students achieved reading test scores comparable to national standards for hearing students—an encouraging indication of what deaf children can accomplish when they have access to language, effective teaching and deaf peers.

TLC Global provides financial support to Visions Academy and sponsors annual service trips by teachers and staff from The Learning Center for the Deaf. This year, five TLC staff members traveled to Hawassa to work alongside Visions Academy teachers and students. Last year, TLC Global also helped establish the school’s library.

Growth is now creating a welcome challenge: the school is outgrowing its leased facility. Visions Academy plans to add a nearby dormitory, freeing up space at its current location for an additional 6th-grade class. Longer term, the goal is to establish a larger, permanent campus on the outskirts of Hawassa.

A New Partnership in Kanungu, Uganda

In August, TLC Global launched a Deaf Inclusion Project with Nyaka Global, a nonprofit with a 25-year history of extraordinary success and impact, expanding educational opportunities and supporting vulnerable children in rural southwestern Uganda.

Founded in response to the devastating impact of the AIDS epidemic, Nyaka initially focused on providing education and support of children orphaned by the disease. Over the past 25 years, it has evolved into a comprehensive community development organization. Today its primary and secondary schools educate approximately 800 students from economically disadvantaged families.

Our new Deaf Inclusion Project begins at the community level. It includes sign-language training, home visits to families with deaf children, and community gatherings designed to identify and support deaf children who have often been isolated from education and from one another.

This is an important first step. Visions Academy in Ethiopia began with similar community outreach before developing into a dedicated school for deaf children. Partnering with Nyaka, we are following a similar path in Uganda—ultimately creating a school where deaf children can learn, grow, and thrive in an environment built around accessible language and communication.

Looking Ahead

Our work in Ethiopia and Uganda is at different stages, but the objective is the same: to give deaf children access to language, education and the opportunity to reach their potential.

Over the coming year, we’ll continue helping Visions Academy grow, mentoring teachers in effective teaching techniques and curriculum development as the school adds grades and reaches more students. We’ll also continue working with Nyaka to advance its Deaf Inclusion Project and develop the path toward establishing a dedicated school for deaf children in southwestern Uganda. Our longer-term vision is to help establish more schools for deaf children in rural communities across Africa and India.

We will use this newsletter to keep friends and supporters of TLC Global informed about the people, partnerships and progress behind this work.

Thank you for your interest in TLC Global and in the children and communities we serve.

Carol & Val Hollingsworth

Founders,TLC Global Deaf Foundation