Zambia to Host First Ever Sign Language Spelling Bee in SADC

Zambia will host the first ever sign language spelling bee in the Southern African Development Community for children with disabilities this summer.

The director of Spelling Bee Zambia, Dr. Chilala Kakoma Bowa, said the competition will be the first to involve spelling using sign language.

The competition will take place in June and July and is aimed at nurturing the talent, skill and vocabulary of the participants. Children from four countries including Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and Zimbabwe will compete to win.

Speaking at the Lusaka Spelling Bee competition at Rhodes Park School, Agatha Banda, Director of Rehabilitation and Research at the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities, said “It is imperative to recognise the profound significance of language and influential capacity of words. The ability to communicate with eloquence and confidence assumes paramount importance. We are not leaving anyone behind.”

Also speaking was Mbolela Pule, founder of Flapa Travel urged students to take part in the competition. “The dedication and resilience displayed by each participant will serve as a testament to the possibilities that education affords” he said.