The Rotaract Club of the Deaf Cebu Sharing Rotary to the Silent World through Rotaract Club of the Deaf Cebu

The formation of the Rotaract Club of the Deaf Cebu was inspired by Deaf Rotaractors and Hearing Rotarians alike who believed in the limitless potentials of the Deaf – and in working together in order to regain the human dignity of the Deaf.

The seed of the Rotaract Club of the Deaf Cebu came all the way from India, as the Rotary Club of Cebu, facilitated by Rtn. Frederick Kintanar, sent two delegates to India to attend the International RYLA – The Deaf Way (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) November 5 - 11 2006. The delegates were Jessie Susan Flores, a Deaf youth leader from Dumaguete city and interpreter/former Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Naty P. Natividad.

During the International RYLA-Deaf Way Conference, they have met Deaf leaders from around the world and inspirational Rotarians from India who exuded such admirable zeal in uplifting the lives of the Deaf people. Rotaract Club of the Deaf Ichalkaranji is the living example of the Rotarians’ belief in the capacity and the leadership of the Deaf youth to change the course and effect change in the plight of the Deaf community.

Hoping to emulate the good example set by Rotaractors and Rotarians in Ichalkaranji, India, a Rotaract informational meeting was conducted at the Gualandi Mission for the Deaf in Banilad, Cebu and it was attended by the Deaf youth who were there also to celebrate the World Deaf Day - September 23, 2007. Young Deaf leaders from various Deaf organizations in Cebu were invited for the Rotaract organizational meeting on October 6, 2007. Right there and then, they have signified their interest and support in putting up a Rotaract Club of the Deaf. Sharing this Rotaract Deaf vision are the Rotarians of RC Mandaue North, Pres. Dann Diez in particular who was able to meet Rtn. Dr. Dilip Deshmukh and the Rotaract Deaf of Ichalkaranji in his recent trip to India. Also strongly supporting and believing in the Deaf Rotaractors’ goals are Rotarians from RC Mactan, most especially Pres. Maita Manglapus, PE Mona Bourseaux and PP Sylvia Comendador. Together these two clubs have co-sponsored what is now the Rotaract Club of the Deaf Cebu.

Borrowing Rotary's The Four-Way Test, the Rotaract Club of the Deaf Cebu have come up with "The Four-Deaf Way Thrust." They are as follows:

• Educate the Deaf and the Hearing about Filipino Sign Language, Deaf people and Deaf culture
• Empower the Deaf Rotaractor to become confident and self-reliant
• Enhance the Deaf Rotaractors’ skills and abilities so that they become self-sufficient and responsible
• Expose the Deaf Rotaractor to the larger world so that they become open-minded, informed, and involved.

The Rotaract club of the Deaf have lined up some projects and activities together with the support of the Rotarians from RC Mactan and RC Mandaue North. Some of the top priority projects are the Leadership Training for the Deaf Rotaractors, Filipino Sign Language Deaf Trainers’ Training, Sign Language sessions with Rotarians of RC Mactan, Deaf I.D. Card as an advocacy campaign, Cebu Deaf Situation Survey, Computer skills and livelihood training for the Deaf, Deaf Theater workshop, a sign-language storytelling contest and Deaf Arts festival, Advocacy talks, Deaf awareness workshops to Deaf schools, other Rotary Clubs, companies, colleges/universities, government agencies, among others.

The Rotaract Club of the Deaf Cebu endeavors to be the source of strength, support, encouragement and inspiration to other Deaf youth in their fight against oppression and violation of their human and linguistic rights. Guided by the beacon of Rotary’s ideals and objects, we will all work together to reclaim Deaf people’s humanity— and hope that someday more and more Deaf would savor the fruit of "a Deaf-enlightened, a Deaf-empowered, and above all a Deaf-dignified!"

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Submitted to the Rotary Global History by Rotaractor Natividad Natividad