GBCZ

young and I was sent to live with my aunt. Then, in a cruel twist of fate, I contracted the same disease at the age of 12. I received treatment and medicine and it was worked, however, after two years I stopped taking the medicine and that is when my hearing began to go away. My hearing continued to decrease over the next four years until at the age of 18, I was completely deaf. My aunt died when I was in 10th grade, leaving me with nowhere to live. I went to the Association of Sign Language Interpreters of Zambia (ASLIZ) to do volunteer work and that is where I met Madam Maria Milila of the International Labor Organization who supported me in finishing high school. It was here where I met Frank Lester, an American teacher who is also deaf and was in Africa working as a Peace Corps volunteer. I graduated high school in Zambia in November 2008, and in August 2009, Lester made good on his promise and brought me to the United states on a student visa. The support I received those many years ago and since has motivated me to create this non-profit organization, Give Back to the Community in Zambia (GBCZ). GBCZ will advocate for full and early access to Zambian Sign Language (ZSL) and English for Deaf and hard of hearing children in Zambia. GBCZ will focus on improving education and quality of life for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people in Zambia. This is the priority for GBCZ, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of every Deaf person in Zambia.