The DMI blog aims to let people know about the Deaf kids, teachers, pastors, schools and churches that DMI supports in developing countries, and encourage support for them by telling their amazing stories. Please share this blog with your friends.
I don’t know what it is but there’s something about Peter’s clean-cut looks that says “hospitality”. Or maybe it’s just that the first thing he says to me is “I want to work in a hotel”. I can see this. I can see this newly graduated high schooler wearing a uniform, proudly working in a hotel, serving his customers with his big African smile and great pride.
Peter has a wonderful presence. He is instantly likeable and full of energy. Unlike fellow-graduate Sylvia, who I interviewed alongside Peter (see Blog #27 “Sylvia”), Peter’s upbringing was relatively safe and peaceful. This contentment shows on his face. Yet even with a good upbringing, Peter’s journey, as a Deaf boy in a world largely unsympathetic to the Deaf, was far from easy, and often marked by times of torment and trial.
Peter was born 24 years ago to Deaf parents and was raised by his grandmother who initially oversaw his schooling and cared for him deeply. When she could no longer care for him, he was taken to live with his aunt. His aunt met all his basic needs except for one: she didn’t love him. She was direct about this, telling Peter that he would never amount to much. Deaf people, she said, could never be important or loved, and were a waste of education.
I ask Peter how he came to be educated but he would rather talk about his dream of working in a hotel. His whole face lights up as he shares this dream with me. He doesn’t just want to work at a hotel, he tells me, he wants to run the hotel. His enthusiasm wins me over. He wants to run a hotel staffed by the Deaf. “We can do it!” he tells me. “We can run the best hotel and restaurant in the area!”
How did he get from being a ‘waste of education’ to feeling like he can run an entire hotel?
It was DMI. DMI took him in at the age of 11, gave him an education, provided for him and loved him. Imagine living eleven years, in silence, without those things! Yet through DMI’s school sponsorship program and the work of DMI’s Immanuel Church of the Deaf in Kampala, Peter was given a foundation that would allow for his true potential to be realised.
This runs deep.
It was the Greek philosopher Aristotle who said, “Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man.” But Aristotle never met Jesus. Peter did. He came to Christ under the leadership of Rev. Bulime, was baptised in 2017 and then his transformation was final. He has never looked back. With a good education, a decent shot at employment and a devout faith, Peter has proved that, despite what he was told all those years ago, he is worth educating, important, and worthy of love.
Peter seems so happy to share his life story with me. He is graduating from high school this year (late because of COVID). What does he plan to do now? This question is merely another chance for Peter to share his dream of working in a hotel. I can’t stop him! He tells me about how the customers should be greeted, how the restaurant should be run, how to market the hotel.
I draw the interview to a close in my customary way: does he have any questions for me? Yes, he does. Enthusiastically he asks me, “How can I open a hotel?” (I should have been ready for this!) I didn’t have an immediate answer for Peter, but this question led to a fruitful discussion on the nature of charity, stewardship and work ethics. An important part of DMI’s work is to move the Deaf in developing countries away from a ‘hand out to the rich and ask’ welfare mentality to a ‘self-sustaining, can do myself’ mentality. We have a micro loan fund (repayable) for Deaf graduates and community members to apply for (as well as a Self-Sustainability fund (non-repayable) for schools and church groups). I tell Peter that he can apply for a loan, and how to apply for this, and why taking ownership of projects like a hotel are important for him and for his community. Peter understood and was grateful for this.
And when his hotel is up and running, I tell him, I will be one of the first to stay there. Peter beams at this and tells me that he will have the finest African attire ready for me to wear. I can’t think of anything better.
If you would like to know how you can support Peter and his dream, any of the kids or teachers with DMI, or help meet any of DMI’s needs, please click on the donate button on the top right of the page, or mail to info@deafmin.org
Oh oh
I love him so much since time he is funny boy and well behaved boy.
Even when I visited his restaurant, he can give me last price on plate food each.
All food what he cooked them was very delicious as nice.
Thank u
By Absolom, close friend to Peter