Working with several Muslim people over many years and I am a deaf community support worker/ex deaf teacher aide to two Deaf Muslim adult in Hamilton. Also with a Buddhist family who has got a Deaf adult in Hamilton.

One Mulsim Deaf male adult- Syed (Noted I cannot reveal his actual name here)  is currently in Pakistan, and he lives with his family in Hamilton between 1999 to 2005. Syed returned to his homeland before 2005, and I saw his father at his brother’s dairy shop in Flagstaff, Hamilton around 2007. Today Syed’s uncle is still at the dairy shop and lives here for 32 years.

I recalled back in 2001 when Syed and his family were seeking a well-educated teacher aide for Syed when he graduated from Melville High School. The family were not happy with the former Deaf teacher aide at the High School in Hamilton. Syed struggled to understand English and NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) at his home in Hamilton.

I was asked by the staff of Workbridge if I can assist and become a teacher aide for this family. Note Workbridge is an organisation for people with disabilities and the team help them to find a job, or provide funding for their education assistance such as an interpreter, technology or teacher aide. One thing I noticed that the team did not fully understand this family is Muslim and why did they ask me as a female teacher aide. For the Muslim culture in the school classroom or anywhere, a female teacher/teacher aide was prohibited in the male class. I asked the coordinator to speak with the father of the house if it is okay to have another male and female people in the same room where I will be teaching Syed or not. Out of the blue – Syed’s father (Papa)  said he will like to see me in person at Workbridge and ask me questions on my experiences with the Deaf community, education and religion.  Yes, we met along with Syed at the Workbridge, in Hamilton and I answered all the questions to Syed’s father.

I taught Syed through Basic Literacy and Numeracy at his home along with his older brother and his mama as they called their mother in the same room. I discovered the problem what Syed struggle to learn English and writing as well. He uses ASL (American Sign Language) along with American English here. I was not very happy with this method of teaching ASL in Pakistan as a deaf linguist because  I believe that there are some places where the local Deaf people have their own native sign as Pakistan before 1960s’

Syed started to relearn NZ English language and English sign language along with some of NZSL. From time to time, his family starting to enjoy having me in their home and making their life easier. Syed’s youngest sister joined in while their oldest brother found a job as an engineer after completing his Auckland University. Their mama always made me a drink and a small meal in return of thanking me for teaching their son. I learnt what Muslim culture, belief, foods and life in Pakistan especially learning more about disabled people/children over the years is. I taught Syed for his training as a carpenter in the following year and found a workplace in Frankton, Hamilton. BUT the calling message from their other families in Pakistan, they decided to return back to Pakistan by leaving their papa who was trying to sell the dairy shop/home in Dinsdale. Of course, their business was good but not always good due to graffiti taggers on the wall and a small time attempt to break in. This made Syed and his family’s lives uneasy, but they have an active community including myself to support them. At the end of the teaching, Syed and his family invited me to share with them for a meal along with the other Muslim community. Mama said to me that she never forget me as she welcomes me as her daughter in the family over the years.

Since Syed and his family left for Pakistan, I made a connection with other Deaf Muslim in the other countries and keep in touch with them.

In the following year, I have another Deaf ex-student born in NZ, but his parent came from Laos for 4 years through school in Hamilton. His family are Buddhist, and they welcome me as a daughter as well. Their Deaf son is an adult today, and his parent does not speak full English. Their older son who is not Deaf, he invited me to their wedding, and I enjoyed their culture and their family.

Then came along another new Muslim lady who she is a Deaf with other disabilities from Somalia via Christchurch in 2008.

I am grateful for these families by learning their languages, cultures and belief throughout the years. I am the only deaf linguist/teacher aide/ESOL tutor in Hamilton who can understand their Deaf child/adult in communicating through sign language than speaking or writing full English. It is a lot of hard work by using two or three languages – sign language, English language and ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages). Sadly in Hamilton, there is no other teacher of ESOL who has experience in any other sign languages or to understand our Deaf culture and the community. Of course, there was no funding, but I was lucky to have little funding to assist and teaching this Deaf Somalian lady by Workbridge and my other workplace.

I attached the link YouTube because I signed a little poem. “How do we go on,” by John Mark Green. https://youtu.be/iQenXjWpIdA