Deaf in Cape Verde

People Name:	Deaf
Country:	Cape Verde
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	4,500
World Population:	50,265,850
Primary Language:	Portuguese Sign Language
Primary Religion:	Christianity
Christian Adherents:	94.56 %
Evangelicals:	0.00 %
Scripture:	Translation Started
Ministry Resources:	No
Jesus Film:	No
Audio Recordings:	No
People Cluster:	Deaf
Affinity Bloc:	Deaf
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

According to the house to house census of 2010, there are 4,800 Deaf individuals in Cape Verde. Thus far, the primary expressed concern has been for the children, included in this population, who are in the Cape Verde school system.

In 2001, an Association for the Deaf was established in Cape Verde. In 2010, due to a high percentage of Deaf students in a school in Mindelo, on the island of Sao Vicente, two teachers managed to convince the school administration to commit one of the classrooms for them to teach these Deaf students in a separate environment using sign language, as they were not performing well in the regular classroom environment. It has been very successful, and stories about its success have appeared in the national media, which were also picked up by the media in Portugal.

A large Deaf school has also been established in Praia on the Island of Santiago and the other islands have been sending their Deaf students to study at this school. The Association for the Deaf in Cape Verde now has its headquarters located at this Deaf school in Praia.

The Ministry of Education has set Lingua Gestual Portuguesa (LGP), Portuguese Sign Language, as the official sign language for Cape Verde. The Association for the Deaf in Portugal has been investing in this school in Praia, both in terms of financing, and personnel to teach LGP in the school. On the National Television Station, the news programs, many public service and political programs, now include a window with interpretation into LGP. Hence, there isn't much ongoing support, and there probably isnt much hope, for the survival of the Cape Verdean variants of LGP.

There is an urgent need for a translation of scripture in LGP for the Deaf in Portugal and all the other countries like Cape Verde that are using LGP. It would also be wonderful if the JESUS Film with an LGP interpretation window in the corner could be produced.