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About us
In many parts of the world deaf people benefit from medical intervention, hearing aids and technical assistance, but these are not available in much of sub-Saharan Africa. There are also traditions and superstitions about deafness which leave children stigmatised and excluded.
Woodford was established in 2004 to offer help and empowerment to deaf children and their families.
We currently work with partners in Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Our projects include:
• Family and community awareness and communication training
• Pre-school programmes to help deaf children
• HIV/AIDS awareness projects with families of deaf children
• Teacher training
• Community projects to work with local people to allay fears about witchcraft and other superstitions
• Construction, development and sustainability of vocational training.
We involve local beneficiaries and key stakeholders in planning and piloting projects.
Key features of our work are empowerment of beneficiaries, rights advocacy, rigorous monitoring and working in partnership with African organisations.
We have powerful evidence that our approach is effective, in terms of cost and impact, as we always work in partnership with deaf people, their families, schools, communities and local organisations to change awareness and aspiration.
Woodford was set up by four retired professionals who had worked throughout their careers with sensory-impaired children and their families. Their work in the UK also took them overseas, where they witnessed the enormous need for services and support that so few normally have access to. We get our name from founding trustee, Miss Doreen Woodford, who had had a lifelong commitment to the interests of deaf and deafblind children. Miss Woodford died in 2011, but her unequivocal enthusiasm and dedication to deaf children here in the UK and around the world has meant that she has touched thousands of people and improved their lives for the better.
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