Deaf students gain independence through agriculture

Vocational studies in agriculture are proving to be a practical pathway through which members of the deaf community have gained sustainable employment and economic independence.

At its Knockpatrick campus in Manchester, students at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD) are trained by the HEART/NSTA Trust in areas such as greenhouse technology, small ruminant rearing, and tractor operation.

"The partnership has been long and ongoing and we're moving forward to creating training agreements, where we can have a more collaborative partnership on specific aspects of agriculture," said Acting Executive Director John Meeks, whose substantive role is that of social enterprise officer.

He said that the CCCD has close to 150 acres of land at its disposal, about 50 acres of which are arable and productive agricultural land.

"We currently operate a greenhouse; we have poultry, and that's both layers and broilers. We have cattle, we have pigs and we are now heading into goat rearing, and crop production is a large part of what we're doing," he detailed.

In addition, Meeks noted that the CCCD is exploring opportunities to develop by-products from its goat-rearing operations, including soaps and other value-added products.

Meeks said that the CCCD is placing increased emphasis on entrepreneurship.

"We are now embarking seriously on entrepreneurial skill sets, because where you can't find employment, you can create your own employment," he reasoned.