Today, we sit with the president of one of our partner organizations, Todos Somos Uno based in Guatemala. Mr Roger Felipe Sagastume Granja, a software developer who specializes in teaching people with hearing disabilities how to code. In 2019, Roger met with Thomas Gebhardt in Guatemala while the founder of Equilibirum Foundation was connecting with Non Governmental Organizations in the country. The discussion between the two founders birthed the pilot project of teaching deaf people programming in Guatemala. This project was not only a successful one but also a pointer to the fact that young people, regardless of any challenge, have the ability to learn various programming languages.
President, Todos Somos Uno
For Roger, it is the ability to share his knowledge with people with disabilities and to see practical developments take place, which places them in the same competitive level with every other person in the work place. This motivation has been the reason why Roger has his head up despite obvious challenges. He highlights one of the challenges he has faced as since the inception of the project in 2019, as the consistent effort to overcome the language barrier to sign language. As the president of the non governmental organization, Todos Somos Uno, Roger consciously learns how to communicate with sign language and computer sign language in order to help youth with disabilities. Another challenge is the fear of people to integrate into the technology world and perform in a totally new job in the world of sign languages.
Ongoing teaching
It is important for people to know how important it is to emphasize equality in the society. The work Todos Somos Uno and Equilibrium Foundation do in Guatemala, training people with disability on software development, should be talked about, incorporated and emulated in different parts of the world. As Roger says, it is of utmost importance that people with hearing disabilities are taken into account as an integral part of the family and community, which increases chances of excelling in the labour market. Governmental and Non Governmental organizations should consciously reach more people in all geographical parts of Guatemala and beyond.
Finally he said: “Deaf people have the potential to be software programmers, software designers and trainers for other deaf people. In 2021, we will raise this potential and, as already communicated, train 10 deaf people as programmers. We will use the disadvantages of the present time as advantages and start the project virtually. After that, I will work with them in a team to carry out paid software development projects and we will earn our living through this.”
The willingness to help and keep giving while visualizing the greater good is what births a fairer world which the Equilibrium Foundation seeks to create via her projects and activities in the world. Would you join us as we do this?