Africa: Deaf television in Zimbabwe

DEAF TELEVISION IN ZIMBABWE
CHIPAWO Media is the only media house in Zimbabwe that produces television for and with the Deaf in Sign Language.
This grew out of the arts education and performance work that CHIPAWO began doing with Emerald Hill School for the Deaf, in Harare, back in 1994, supported by World University Service (WUS) Canada.

‘HANDSPEAK’
The first television programme CHIPAWO Media did with the deaf was the trail-blazing 13 episode series, Handspeak, the first series on Zimbabwe television in Sign Language. Launched on 5 June, 2005, Handspeak was a weekly magazine programme in Sign Language for and by the deaf, There were sub-titles so hearing viewers were able to follow what was being said. Each episode featured a short lesson on Sign Language, news about and for the deaf, a drama on the topic of the week followed by a discussion with guests on the programme and the Window of Hope - a profile of deaf persons who have, despite the odds, have made something of their lives.

The series featured topics such as Love and Marriage, Careers for deaf people, HIV/AIDS, Education, Communication with others in the community and Entertainment as well as Relaxation and Entertainment.

Nyasha Nyamwanza, the Coordinator of the Programme, and herself deaf, said the main aim of the programme was to change people’s attitudes towards the deaf. “The aim of the programme is to change the way deaf people are perceived in the society by showing that the deaf are just like hearing people” she said. She also said that the programme also seeks to show the problems that the deaf face in Zimbabwe and therefore try to call for action to help the deaf and that there’s need to teach Sign Language in order to make communication between the hearing and deaf easier.’ Nyasha died tragically during the making of the series.

Though there are television programmes for the deaf in other countries, there are not many in Africa. According to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) Report 10 percent of the content on the national television broadcaster, Zimbabwe Television, is expected to cater for the hearing impaired. As there was virtually nothing before, except for certain news programmes in Sign Language, Handspeak went a long way towards filling the gap.
DEAF DIALOGUES
The sequel to Handspeak was long in coming, owing to the lack of funds. However something was done when in May this year CHIPAWO Media included a four episode mini-series in its Onstage television series - a series that presents performance filmed on stage for television. This mini-series included ‘Give Us a Chance’, a documentary based on a Handicap Advocacy Arts Festival featuring performance and discussion on issues relating to the handicapped involving handicapped and other children. Then the small dramas that had been featured in Handspeak were gathered into two episodes of drama in Sign Language entitled ‘Dialogues of the Deaf’. The fourth in the mini-series was ‘Cry Thinking’.
CRY THINKING
What is it like to grow up knowing that you are not like other people? You are deaf.
This is the question that was put to the young deaf actors at Emerald Hill School for the Deaf when they began preparing their play. One of the children wrote in her response to the question that ‘every night I used to cry, thinking that I was the only deaf person in the world’. And so the play that they came up with was called ‘Cry Thinking’.
An interesting theatrical device is the way in which the play tells the story in two parallel streams. There is the realistic portrayal of how everyone is so happy when Rumbi is born but then one day her mother discovers that she cannot hear. This prompts her husband’s sisters to blame her and urge him to drive her away. Rumbi is taken to a doctor and to an n’anga but there seems little hope as they all proclaim her incurably deaf. The story goes on to show how she manages to partly transcend her condition and lead, with her family, a more normal life.
In the other stream, the experience is shown not realistically but through mime. Deafness is conceived of as a box. The mimers first discover the box then explore it and try to break out. They see people but the people cannot help them. Eventually they find a way out and they try to talk to each other and others but as they are deaf, they find they cannot do this either. Finally they are taught Sign Language and this gives them the power to communicate - with each other but not with the rest of the world as they cannot speak their language. The play is a powerful argument for the teaching of Sign Language to the hearing.
Of the actors, one of them, the principal mimer, has subsequently become famous. This is Audrey Chakara, who recently represented Zimbabwe in an international deaf beauty competition in Eaurope. After ‘Cry Thinking’ she went on to be a presenter in CHPAWO Media’s Sign Language television series, ‘Handspeak’.
“Cry Thinking’ was first performed at the Reps Theatre, where it was also filmed for television. It subsequently went to Germany to participate in the 7th World Festival of Children’s Theatre, Lingen, in July 2002.
ACTION POWER
Now at last the sequel to Handspeak is nearing the finishing line. With a small grant from the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe, work began on the new series at the beginning of 2008. Unfortunately hyperinflation rapidly turned the budget into peanuts and production stalled. The Fund then came up with some additional funding in April.

Though the same thing has happened to the budget - as inflation is now far worse than it was at the beginning of the year - CHIPAWO Media and Emerald Hill School for the Deaf are determined to press on and complete the series no matter what. It should be in the can by the end of this week (13th June) and hit the small screen in October, 2008.
Action Power is basically a magazine programme similar to Handspeak. Learning from that experience the new series has been simplified and made a little less ambitious. It consists of three segments - Action Art, Action Speak and Action Issues.

Action Art is an opportunity to meet a deaf artist or craftsperson. A work of art or craft such as painting, sculpture, dance, hair design, pottery, basketry etc. is presented to the viewers and discussed then the artist comes on to the show.

The artist and his or her work is introduced and he or she gives the viewers an idea as to how they became to be artists, what they experience, their challenges and their aspirations.

Action Speak is a continuation of the lessons in Sign Language for the hearing but this time more advanced signs are included for the deaf.

Action Issues features discussion by children, youth, parents, teachers and government on Education and Careers for the deaf in Zimbabwe.

DVDS AVAILABLE
All CHIPAWO Media television p[rogrammes and documentaries are available on
DVD. Price US$15 excluding postage.
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