Board of Trustees Member Meets Alumni in Kenya

Deaf Member of GU Board of Trustees Visits Kenya

While in Nairobi, Kenya to address a World Bank conference on municipal finance, Dr. Natwar Gandhi, a member of the Gallaudet Board of Trustees, took the opportunity to seek out and meet with leaders of the deaf community there.

On February 3, 2019, Gandhi met for dinner with Dr. Michael Ndurumo, E-’77, one of the founding fathers of the Kenya National Association of the Deaf, executive director of the Africa Institute of Deaf Studies and Research, and editor of The African Annals of the Deaf.

Gandhi also met with the chairman of the Kenya National Association of the Deaf, Nickson Kakiri, ’05, over breakfast on February 4.

Gandhi appreciated the efforts of several people, especially Glenn Lockhart, ’98, board liaison and presidential support specialist, President’s Office; B Mustiya Nzyuko, ’17, business operations specialist, The ASLPI; and Alok Doshi, E-’93, former faculty member in the Department of Business, who networked over a very short period to make the meetings possible.

“I was able to meet Dr. and Mrs. Ndurumo over a dinner and Mr. Kakiri over a breakfast in Nairobi,” said Gandhi. “Despite short notice, they came by to my hotel and apprised me of the state of affairs of the deaf community in Kenya.

“I was very impressed with their hard work and dedication to improving the education of the deaf, particularly children. They also talked fondly about their days at Gallaudet.”

Featured photo shows, from left: Dr. Natwar Gandhi and Dr. Michael Ndurumo, after a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 2. Photo courtesy of Dr. Michael Ndurumo.