February 27 Meeting
Changing Lives: The Power of Sign Language and
Education for the Deaf in Rural Kenya
with
Kathleen Kitao
Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025
Time: 6:00–6:45 pm: Arrive and mingle
7:00 pm: Dinner
8:00–9:00 pm: Presentation
Place: Hilton Osaka (Umeda), 4F
Cost: FEW members: ¥6,000
Nonmembers (women only): ¥8,000
Register: Hilton: By Wednesday, February 19, midnight
[FEW Kansai members may participate in monthly meetings via Zoom if unable to join in person at the Hilton.
Please go to the Event page for details.]
Deaf individuals in developing countries, particularly in rural areas, face unique and significant challenges. Deaf children often lack access to education, which often inhibits their ability to learn sign language. Consequently, many grow up without any form of language and may experience isolation even within their own families.
In February, we will learn how a school in rural Kenya is improving the lives of its Deaf students. Immanuel Integrated Christian School, founded in 2008 as the Immanuel School for the Deaf, currently serves both Deaf and hearing students, allowing them to study, work, and play together. Our speaker, Kathleen Kitao, has devoted three months each year for the last three years volunteering at the school. Kathleen will speak to us about the challenges faced by Deaf individuals in Kenya, the significance of sign language in Deaf culture and communication, and her work at the school.
Join us to learn more about the experience of Deaf individuals in Kenya and the transformative power of education in their lives.
Our Speaker: Kathleen K
itao
Kathleen Kitao grew up in Boise, Idaho. In 1980, she married Kenji Kitao and moved to Japan. She earned her PhD in communication from Michigan State University in 1988 and joined Doshisha Women’s College full-time in 1989, where she taught communication, linguistics, and English for 32 years.
In 2019, Kathleen visited the Immanuel School for the Deaf in Kenya with her sister and a close friend. After retiring in 2021, she began studying sign language and returned to the school as a volunteer in 2022. For the last three years, she has spent three months each year there, the maximum allowed for her visa type. She also volunteers for Family and Friends Nepal, teaching crocheting and assisting with reading activities. Kathi plans to travel to Guatemala in June with Free Wheelchair Mission to help distribute wheelchairs.