Nurturing Deaf Flourishing Sustainably 219
The perspective generated in my research and theoretical framing is a bottom-up
approach, which starts from “concept formation from the wild” (Engeström &
Sannino, 2012, p. 201), that is, from metaphors and notions used by deaf individu-
als and communities. As such, it aims to contribute to the recognition and strength-
ening of deaf indigenous knowledge.
Here I explore epistemic practices in the co-production of knowledge during
workshops in the Cameroonian capital, yaoundé, in February and March 2010.
These workshops facilitated the first experiences of collective transnational contact
for deaf Cameroonians, as well as initiating a cross-fertilization of development
processes. The workshops were offered under the auspices of the World Federation
of the Deaf (WFD) as part of their two-year Deaf Human Rights and Capacity
Building Training project in Western and Central Africa. They facilitated the atten-
dance of regional and national board members of the Cameroon National Associa-
tion of the Deaf (CANAD). At the end of the training, CANAD organized a closing
ceremony that started with presentations in which board members expressed their
gratitude to the WFD, illustrating an awakening of hope in a community beset by
problems (for a description of the Cameroonian deaf community and its challenges,
see Chapter 5).
The WFD trainers used the image of a bountiful fruit tree as a visual symbol of
this hope (as have others, e.g., Sikazwe, 2002) to inspire the leaders with a vision of
a prosperous future for deaf Cameroonians. Some of the participants’ reactions and
insights are as follows:- Cameroon has a lot of problems. Until now, I didn’t know whether we would
ever be okay, but now I know that we will. I see all of you and I would like
Figure 8.1. Jiayi Zhou’s painting.