My name is Charles Ahabwe, and I am a deaf male who was born in Burundi, a member of the East African Community. Since 2016, I have been living as a refugee in Uganda.
I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior at the age of four. My parents are both Christians, but I lost my father at a young age. Throughout my life, I have felt a strong passion for serving the deaf community by sharing the message of Jesus Christ, teaching them the Word of God, and helping them discover God’s presence in their lives.
I grew up and studied in Burundi, completing my primary and secondary education there. Although I spent a few years not attending university, I felt called to serve God by supporting deaf individuals in Burundi. In 2000, I established the first-ever church specifically for deaf people in the capital city. Over the following years, I opened additional branches across various regions of Burundi, bringing the total to nine churches.
During this time, I also founded the Burundi National Association of the Deaf and served as its first chairman. This organization aimed to enhance the lives of deaf individuals in Burundi, focusing on improving access to education, livelihoods, and dignity.
In 2004, I received an opportunity to study at DOOR in Nairobi, Kenya. I traveled there to pursue further studies in Chronological Bible Stories (CBS) for a year, graduating at the end of that year. In 2005, I moved to Uganda, where I attended Bible School to train in church leadership, evangelism, and pastoral work, among other subjects. After completing my studies, I returned to Burundi to continue my work for God and serve the deaf community. The knowledge and skills I gained in Uganda and Kenya significantly strengthened my ministry to deaf individuals through the grace of the Lord.
Until 2011, I had the opportunity to travel to India to pursue further studies at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), in partnership with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). I enrolled in a Bachelor’s program focused on Sign Language Research, which aimed to help me develop a comprehensive sign language for my home country, Burundi. While living and studying in India, I also taught the Word of God to many deaf Indians, leading them to accept Jesus Christ.
Although many foreigners struggled with this task, I was able to help over 30 deaf Indians come to faith through my teachings. Some of these individuals are now employed by the Deaf Bible Society and DOOR International. However, during the middle of my four-year study, I experienced a serious illness; diabetes affected a tumor in my brain. Thankfully, with God’s assistance, the tumor did not significantly impact my brain function, and I was able to continue my studies.
I completed my education in India in 2014 and returned to my home country. Unfortunately, in early 2015, a serious political crisis erupted in Burundi, leading to widespread violence. This turmoil severely affected my health and forced me to flee Burundi for safety in Uganda. I registered as a refugee with the Ugandan government and was settled in western Uganda, along with three of my brothers and one sister. We had to leave our mother in our village in Burundi.
My siblings and I lived in Uganda as refugees, facing numerous challenges, particularly homelessness, unemployment, and the ongoing struggle with serious diabetes. As a deaf refugee, I encountered additional difficulties in communicating with refugee service providers, many of whom were unfamiliar with sign language. Some even held negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities in the refugee camp.
There are many deaf children and adults in the refugee camp who suffer from a lack of access to inclusive education and support for daily living, creating significant communication barriers due to the absence of sign language resources. Unfortunately, these challenges are not limited to the deaf community; other individuals with various impairments face the same obstacles.
I am grateful to God for the support I received from the leaders of Deaf Sign Alliance, who truly changed my life. They provided me with resources to start a business, allowing me to become self-sustainable. This change has made a significant difference in my life.
I hope that the support from Deaf Sign Alliance can reach more deaf individuals in the refugee camp, helping them to improve their livelihoods and achieve self-sustainability, just as I have.
