Country of Residence
Kenya
Age
19
Project title
Pamoja sign
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Pamoja Sign is a community project that will help Deaf and non speaking people communicate more easily through a small sign language learning space and a simple phone tool that can work with less dependence on internet.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
The idea for Pamoja Sign started when I visited Clinic Seven in Kakuma 4. I saw a non speaking patient who was having difficulty understanding the medicine instructions. I felt that the problem was not the person, but the way we were communicating. I wanted to learn how to communicate better, so I started learning sign language from videos on TikTok. I practiced with my friends Rafael and Sedric. Later, Madam Getrude helped us correct our signs and taught us short lessons after school. This helped us start the Pamoja Club. As I continued learning, I saw that there were not many people around us who knew sign language. I also knew that internet access is not always available in Kakuma. I started thinking about a simple tool that could work offline and help Deaf and non speaking people communicate with others. That experience at the clinic was the moment I decided that this was a problem I wanted to work on.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
In Kakuma, Deaf and non speaking people can have problems communicating with people who do not know sign language. This can make it hard to ask for help, understand information, go to school, or get services. I first saw this problem at Clinic Seven in Kakuma 4 when I saw a non speaking patient having difficulty understanding medicine instructions. It made me think about how serious a communication problem can be, especially in a place where there are not many people who know sign language. I also learned that internet access cannot always be depended on. This means that an online communication tool may not always help when a person needs it. This problem matters to me because everyone should have a way to communicate their needs and understand other people. I want to help make communication easier for Deaf and non speaking people in my community.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
Pamoja Sign will have two connected parts. First, I want to develop a small learning space on a piece of empty land that I own in Kakuma. The space will be for young people aged 12–18 to learn basic sign language. Deaf and non speaking people will also be involved as partners. They can help teach signs, explain communication problems, and give feedback on what we build. Second, I am developing a simple phone tool. I have already made an early prototype using Glide, a no code app builder. I want the tool to include common words and phrases, English and Swahili translations, and short sign language videos. My goal is for important content to be available without always needing internet. I started with simple signs such as the alphabet, family members, days of the week, and the Kenya national anthem. I want to build from these basic lessons into something more useful for daily communication, including important health and school phrases. In the future, I would like to explore speech-to-text and other technology that can help people who do not know sign language communicate with Deaf people. I know this is more difficult, so I want to first test the simple version, learn from users, and improve it step by step.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
Pamoja Sign is still at an early stage, but it has already helped me start creating interest in sign language learning. Our Pamoja Club had about 24 students, although the number present changed from day to day. I learned signs with help from Madam Getrude and then shared what I learned with other students. We practiced the alphabet, family members, days of the week, and the Kenya national anthem. I know about 12 Deaf or non speaking people in the community. Meeting and learning about their communication needs has helped me understand that this is not only a technology problem. It is also a community and education problem. I have also built an early Pamoja Sign prototype using Glide. It is not a finished app, but it has helped me move from an idea to something I can test and improve. My next impact will be to create a small learning space, involve Deaf and non speaking people in the project, train more young people, and test the phone tool with real users. I will measure progress by the number of young people trained, people involved in testing, and improvements made from their feedback.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
What is different about Pamoja Sign is that I am not trying to solve the problem only with an app. I want to connect learning, community and technology. The first part is a small physical learning space where young people can learn basic sign language together. I have an empty piece of land that I want to develop for this purpose. Deaf and non speaking people can help guide the lessons and tell us what communication problems are most important to solve. The second part is a simple phone tool. I have already made an early prototype using Glide. I want to keep useful sign-language content on the phone so people do not always have to depend on internet access. The idea also comes from my own experience. I first saw the communication problem at a clinic. Instead of starting with technology, I started by learning sign language myself and teaching other students what I learned. I do not want to build a complicated system before knowing what people really need. I want to start small, listen to Deaf and non speaking people, test the tool, learn from mistakes, and improve it. In the future, I want to explore speech-to-text and other AI features. But I see this as a later step, not something I will promise before testing the basic solution.
How many people are on your team?
5
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
There are 5 people on our core team: me, Abraham Leek Tor, Sedrick Niyogushima, Fardosa Alamayo, and Rafael Yassir. I lead the project and work on the idea and prototype. Abraham helps with technology. Rafael helps with sign language. Fardosa helps organize students. Sedrick helped us continue learning by using his first 500 KES to buy internet bundles to find and download sign-language videos after Madam Getrude moved to another school. We share ideas and responsibilities as a team.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, I want to develop Pamoja Sign step by step. First, I will improve the current Glide prototype and add useful phrases, English and Swahili translations, and short sign language videos. Second, I want to start developing a simple learning space on the empty land I own. I will begin with a small and affordable setup instead of trying to build a large center. Third, I will involve Deaf and non speaking people in the community. They can help us choose useful signs, check the videos, explain their needs, and test the project. Their feedback should guide what we build. I also want to run small learning sessions for young people aged 12–18 and teach basic sign language. After testing the first version, I will record what works and what does not. Then I will improve the tool and learning space. Later, when I have learned more, I want to explore speech-to-text and other technology that could make communication easier. I also hope to work with schools, clinics and other community groups.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I started by learning myself and then sharing what I learned with other students. This is how Pamoja Club started. About 24 students have been part of the club, although attendance changed from day to day. We practiced simple signs such as the alphabet, family members, days of the week and the Kenya national anthem. I want to use the same approach as Pamoja Sign grows. Young people will be able to join small learning sessions and learn basic sign language. Deaf and non speaking people will be invited to share their experience and help us understand what needs to change. The learning space I want to create will give young people a place to practice instead of only learning from a phone. I will also show the Pamoja Sign prototype to learners and community members and ask them what is useful and what needs to change. This will make people part of building the solution, not just people who receive it. My goal is for more young people to learn that communication should include everyone and that they can also take action when they see a problem in their community.
