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The use of language for every day communication has been and continues to be an essential element of any teaching and learning environment. In this paper, the focus is on the teaching -learning communication in the education of the learners with deafness. While experiences indicate that some people in Botswana are showing more and more interest in Sign Language as a mode of instruction in the classroom, it is also true that many are far from understanding the "Deaf Culture" and to use sign language in the teaching and learning of deaf students. To a great extent, deaf people in Botswana are still disadvantaged and discriminated against, by their condition. A survey carried out in 2004 (1) revealed that some current practices in the mainstream secondary school of Botswana make it difficult for deaf students to progress. While, for example, participants preferred Total Communication; in practise, Signed English is used. Thus, this paper takes a stance that if practices conflict with preference, low performance should be expected. This is currently the situation at the mainstream secondary schools in Botswana, deaf students' inability to hear has become their inability to learn and progress in education. This could be avoided. In this 21st century, being unable to hear is not a barrier to learning, as we are aware that Sign Languages are there as full languages, for the education of deaf.

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 19, No 1

This is the report of a two-year project to reduce the vulnerability of women and girls in Africa to HIV and AIDS, using Stepping Stones - a gender-focused participatory process that involves working closely with peer groups. The project's other objectives were to: build the capacity of local structures to respond; promote community responses through effective partnerships and advocacy actions; and find out whether Stepping Stones could be used effectively in unconventional settings with a range of population groups such as the nomadic Mucubai tribe in Southern Angola, internally displaced people living in camps in Northern Uganda, and the 21st Battalion of the Angolan armed forces. Key findings include: improvements in the level of knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS and increased communication around sexual issues and between couples and within communities, across all three countries, as well as an increased sense of community responsibility for HIV and AIDS. In addition there was patchy evidence of stigma reduction and some reduction in risky cultural and sexual practices. Although increased respect for women, including self respect and a reduction in gender violence was also noted, female subordination in decision making and control over resources remains. Stepping Stones was on the whole considered to be adaptable for use in a wide range of contexts although more thought was needed to develop effective strategies to combat obstacles when using this process in some circumstances

This guide provides a hands-on 12-step process to developing health communication campaigns. Each chapter is created according to the steps, with information on what the step is, why it is important and what is required to carry it out

This paper shows how information, communication, the media and ICTs are powerful agents of change, how they can give 'voice' to the poor and contribute to more sustainable development, but it also emphasises the need to support and strengthen communication processes used by poor and marginalised people who already face many barriers to receiving information, and to develop the skills and capacity of those people to make their own voices heard. It concludes by suggesting an agenda for action by policy makers, development experts, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and the private sector (including the media)

This manual focuses on selecting, testing, implementing and evaluating interventions to improve the use of medicines at community level. Two broad strategic areas are identified: communication strategies and strategies to create enabling environments. "What has become clear over the years is that there is no single model or approach that is the solution to all health communication challenges. Different techniques are appropriate in different contexts to deal with different priorities and problems. This manual will help you to build skills and experience to make that selection more effectively"