NASLIG ANNUAL REPORT – 2022

Highlights

• NALSIG 5- Year Strategic Plan
• Mission of NASLIG
• Vision of NASLIG
• NASLIG Website upgrade
• Capacity building events for 2022
• Formation of NASLIG Regional Coordinating Committees (NRCC)
• Major decisions
• NASLIG and WASLI Courtship
• NALSIG 5- Year Strategic Plan

Since its inception in 2019, NASLIG has focused on a 5-Year Strategic Plan (2019 – 2024). The plan is in two-folds

1. to focus on membership mobilization such that as many Sign Language Interpreters (SLIs) in Ghana will come under the umbrella of NASLIG so that SLI activities can be regulated by NASLIG as a professional body
2. to embark on an intensive SLI capacity building training for NASLIG members so as to equip membership on high competency levels in interpreter theory, practices, sign language linguistics and professionalism to reflect best international practices

• Mission of NASLIG

The mission is to provide ethical grounds for sign language interpreting in Ghana.

• Vision of NASLIG

The vision of NASLIG is bringing both professional and non-professional/certified and non-certified sign language interpreters in Ghana under one umbrella; ensuring that all are identified and registered under the association.

• NASLIG Website upgrade

The National Association of Sign Language Interpreters, Ghana upgraded its website to meet current activities of international interpreting practice. One of the association members, Isaac Abakah was behind the design and maintenance of the website.

Information about NASLIG can be found on the website www.nalisg.org.

The NASLIG website has been recognized as one of the best interpreter service websites in Africa by the Association of the Federation of Sign Language Interpreters- AFSLI. Since its upgrade, the NSLIG website has been integrated into the AFSLI website.

• Capacity building events for 2022

NASLIG organized four main capacity-building training for its members in 2022.

In April, the first online training was held as a seminar for members. It was a training focused on sharing and circulating best practices and strategies in interpreting within the Health Care setting. Speakers for the seminar were Clement Sam, Peter Goumouh Yiripae, Isaac Abakah, Gifty Akosua Adzigbey, Dzeani Phinehas and Robert Frimpong Manso. Patrick Gallaso offered immense technical and support for the success of the event.

Again in May, NASLIG organized another online event. This training focused on interpreting within educational settings. The training aimed at refining knowledge among the National Association of Sign Language Interpreters, Ghana- (NASLIG) members who work within the educational arena. Cheryl Thomas delivered the keynote address and emphasized the need for NASLIG members to develop a community of interpreters rather than aiming to work in isolation. Other speakers during the event were Enoch Okata, Martin Attakwesi Nyamekye, Patrick Gallaso, Dzeani Phinehas and Robert Frimpong Manso

In July, the Western Oregon University (WOU), University of Education Winneba (UEW), and NASLIG joined forces to organize Professional Development Training for SLIs in Ghana at the UEW campus- Students Center. Professor Elisa Maroney, with much support from Dr. Vicki Darden, Dr, Daniel Fobi, Dzeani Phinehas and Joseph Obeng Afriyie were the facilitators for the event. Topics used for the training included an introduction to DCS, use of Non-Evaluative Language, Using Teams, Ethics in Interpreting, Translation Practice and Case Conference Supervision.

The last major online capacity building seminar was held in October. NASLIG once again merged with the “Interpreter Trainers” a private interpreting training organization registered under the business name Felike Language Consult to organize the event on Facebook Live. Clement Sam (the NASLIG National President), Dr. Daniel Fobi (Coordinator of Deaf Education, UEW) and Dzeani Phinehas (NASLIG Executive Secretary and Programs and Training Officer of Interpreter Trainers) presented on “Facilitating inclusion…”, “the Business practices of hiring an interpreter” and “why the SLI must be mindful of what they wore to work”. The event was moderated by Joyce Fobi while Isaac Abakah provided technical support.

Aside these events, NASLIG again sponsored five interpreters to take part in two different online trainings that focused on interpreter theory and performing Deafblind interpreting.

• Formation of NASLIG Regional Coordinating Committees (NRCC)

To enrich the activities of NASLIG within the country, there was the need to work from the base. As such, the association embarked on a regional committee formation exercise as prescribed by the constitution of the association.

As of December 2022, 7 regions had formed their Regional Coordinating Committees (RCCs). They include.

• Eastern Region
• Western Region
• Central Region
• Western North Region
• Bono/Ahafo/East Region
• Northern Region
• Ashanti Region

                Other regions were in the process of forming their RCCs.

• Major decisions

Some major decisions were made during the 2022 interpreting year.

In an executive meeting held in August, it was decided that each member of the association was supposed to make their minimum monthly donation of ¢20. The Financial Secretaries and treasurer are working on securing a bank account and mobile money numbers that would be used for the collection of membership dues hopefully before the 2023 interpreting year commences.

To refine and standardize payment rates for SLIs working in Ghana, NASLIG formed a committee that met on several occasions with a committee from the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) to achieve this goal. The initial outcome was that charges would be made per half a day and full day basis. However, further consultations went through to suggest that it was better interpreters charged per the hour rather than per day or half a day. A communique is expected to send to members of the association on this before the 2023 interpreting year commences.

• NASLIG and WASLI Courtship

Due to the efforts of NASLIG to ensure sound and top-notch interpreting activities in Ghana, the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) has included two of the association’s members, Mr. Clement Sam (National President) and Mr. Dzeani Phinehas (National Secretary) on the 2023 WASLI conference programme. They are expected to address the interpreting world on leadership practices within the interpreting space and the experiences of capacity building trainings held for members of the interpreting community. For information on the WASLI conference in July 2023, open this link https://wasli2023.blogpost.com/p/programme_43.html?m=1

Concluding remarks

The 2022 interpreting year has been a year that consolidated upon the values of ensuring sound interpreter practices through capacity building trainings. We learnt a lot as individual interpreters and as a group. We aim to improve in the 2023 interpreting year as we come closer to the end of our 5-year developmental agenda.

We use this opportunity to invite all who are working in isolation to come join NASLIG so that we can carry the profession of Sign Language Interpretation to the heights it deserves.

Contact us through info@naslig.org for further information.

NASLIG wishes all of you a refreshing 2023 interpreting year.

By Dzeani Phinehas

(Executive Secretary)

Isaac Abakah

(Technical and Publishing)