25 Million.
That’s how many deaf children are living in poverty around the world.
A staggering number, yet an almost invisible issue. How can a child without the use of language in an impoverished country have a voice?
This is the issue that Deaf Child Hope is working to alleviate. Founded in 2010 by JD King, Deaf Child Hope (DCH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that aims to “bring hope to deaf children in poverty around the world by providing food and water, clothing, shelter, safety, language, acceptance, educational opportunities, encouragement, medical care, and the message of Jesus Christ.”
“My father had been working with deaf people since the ‘60s,” said King. “He started an organization called ‘Deaf Missions’ in 1971, and two years ago, they finished translating the entire Bible into sign language.” Aside from using this project to create the Deaf Bible app, Deaf Missions also produced a film in 2024 entitled “Jesus,” a film with all deaf actors.
“I led mission trips when I was younger, so I was exposed to poverty,” King continued. “I started learning just how many deaf children are in poverty…so the good Lord put in my heart that I needed to do something about it.
“The struggles these kids face are unimaginable. In the United States, about one in 1,000 people are born deaf. In developing countries, it’s more like three per 1,000 because of illnesses, lack of nutrition, lack of medical care, things like that…people seem to think that deaf kids automatically know sign language, but they don’t. So these children grow up and have to live life without any language.”
Not only is deafness more common in impoverished countries, the lack of care is insufficient for a decent quality of life. “Most of the time, the parents don’t think they’re worth anything,” King explained. “They think they’re stupid and not worth educating, and they often think they’re cursed. So it’s also a spiritual thing—a lot of times the family or the community will think the child is deaf because they are cursed, and then they don’t want the child because they think the curse will spread.”
DCH has spent the last 14 years caring for and educating deaf children in poverty. Through sponsorships, anyone can “adopt” a deaf child and provide financial support. “It’s through those sponsorships that we can pay for food, clothing, shelter, education, those kinds of things,” said King. “People can write to their child, if the child can write, or they’ll just draw pictures. They can go visit the child if they want to, we can try to arrange that. The correspondence is important.”
Grace McCoy, Field Director for DCH, was a natural fit for the role, as she has not only a teaching degree, but past experience with overseas mission trips. She recently returned from Kenya, where she visits the deaf schools and ensures the children are thriving. “A lot of my time was networking. I was able to meet people from different countries in Africa, and they shared their stories about deaf schools there and the struggles,” McCoy signed. “Our goal is to partner with them and help those children so they can have hope and a future where they can receive an education and have language.
“God has really planned this all out for this job with DCH,” McCoy continued. “Just being with the deaf kids is my favorite part. They have faced so many hardships but they’re full of joy and happy to see you and play with you…I went to Kenya last year, but going back this year I have seen the children one year later and it’s encouraging to see that they’re doing well because we’re helping them. I’m excited to visit every year or two and see their growth in different areas.”
Being born deaf herself, McCoy said it’s easier to connect with the children. “Kenyan Sign Language is different than American Sign Language, but because I was able to pick it up so easily, and because I’m deaf myself, it’s easier to build relationships and communicate with them and there are no barriers.”
“There are over 300 sign languages in the world,” said King. “These children don’t know any of them. We’re trying to change that.”
To learn more or donate to Deaf Child Hope, visit deafchildhope.org.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
