TLC Global Summer 2026 Update
A note from the founders of TLC Global
Greetings from TLC Global!
It has been a busy summer, with exciting 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 many 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 for the Deaf in Hawassa, Ethiopia, and launching a new partnership with Nyaka in southwest Uganda.
Val and Carol Hollingsworth
Founder of TLC Global
Our Approach
Our work begins with a simple but essential belief, backed by science: language is the foundation for learning.
We partner with schools and organizations in underserved regions to provide teacher training, curriculum development, and classroom strategies designed specifically for deaf learners. These efforts are rooted in the bilingual model developed at The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC), which has demonstrated that deaf children can thrive academically and socially when given access to language early and consistently.
By working directly with educators and communities, we focus not only on immediate classroom support, but on building sustainable systems that continue long after our visits.
Growing Partnership in Hawassa, Ethiopia
Visions Academy began formal classes in 2023 and has already grown to approximately 100 students, from kindergarten through fifth grade. Thirty students are boarders.
We are particularly 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 and effective teaching.
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 building, allowing six additional grades to be added at its current location. 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, a highly regarded organization serving children and families in rural southwest Uganda.
Nyaka was founded 25 years ago in response to the devastating impact of the AIDS epidemic on children in the region. Today, its primary and secondary schools serve approximately 800 students from economically disadvantaged families, while its broader programs support children, grandparents and communities throughout the region.
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. Working with Nyaka, we hope over time to follow a similar path in Uganda—ultimately creating a school where deaf children can learn 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 expect to continue supporting the expansion of Visions Academy while working with Nyaka to develop its Deaf Inclusion Project and determine the best path toward a dedicated educational program for deaf children in southwest Uganda.
We will use this newsletter to keep friends and supporters of TLC Global informed about the people, partnerships and progress behind this work. We expect to send an update three or four times each year. Thank you for your interest in TLC Global and in the children and communities we serve.
Support us
Your support plays a critical role in bringing language and education to deaf children in underserved communities.
With your help, we can continue training educators, supporting schools and organisations, and expanding access where it is needed most.
