Spotlight on Channel Alphonse, a hard of hearing arts and craft instructor |20 November 2019

Channel Alphonse

‘I want other disabled men to be more like me, be more independent’

The International Men’s Day is commemorated worldwide to shine a spotlight on men who are making a positive difference and to raise awareness of issues that men face on a global scale.In the two decades that the International Men’s Day has been celebrated, the day remains among the less publicised events on the global calendar. Yesterday, November 19, happened to be this day which was observed under the theme: ‘Making a Difference for Men and Boys’.

Fifty-five year old Channel Alphonse is one of the many men in Seychelles that are making a difference whereby he strives to bring about positive changes in the lives of disabled persons, particularly men.

As a deaf person, Channel has persevered throughout numerous difficulties to become a well-loved teacher, entrepreneur and father.

Childhood

Channel grew up in Port Glaud surrounded by a large family since his mother and father had a total of 10 children, four girls and six boys, including Channel who is the ninth child.

Four of the Alphonse siblings have unfortunately passed away, leaving behind Channel and three of his sisters and two brothers.

When asked about how he became deaf, Channel explained that he suffered from an extremely high fever at the tender age of three years or so which resulted in his hearing loss.

“My mother told me that I was close to dying, my fever was so high. The doctor told her that I would either go blind and deaf or die,” Channel recounted.

“Later on, we went to the hospital and the hearing machine found that I had lost my hearing. I did not hear anything.”

Channel also explained that he was provided with a hearing aid during his teenage years but it made his head hurt, so he never wore an aid again.

Faced with this disability, Channel confessed that he did not attend school until he was about 16 years old when he joined the Vocational Training Centre for the disabled, located at North East Point.

Back then, the education system was not designed in the same way as it is now, where deaf persons can now undertake their education at the school for the disabled.

Career

During his formative years at the vocational centre, Channel further developed his skills in carpentry and woodwork which he already had a passion for.

He now works at the vocational centre as a full-time arts and craft instructor, specialising in carpentry and woodworks using coconut shells and ‘tanmi’.

The Vocational Training Centre caters for students and young adults from ages 16 to 35 where they learn practical skills in agriculture, home economics, art and craft, textile, jewelry, sewing, and carpentry.

He teaches students with different disabilities and, with routine, has been able to find ways to communicate and teach each individual student.

Although Channel has to wake up quite early in the morning to reach the school and the pay is not quite as satisfactory, Channel said that he loves his job.

He started working there in October 2012 but unapologetically noted that, as a disabled person, he did not have many options in terms of employment.

However he did not let this fact deter him from opening his own business as he is the proud owner of a small workshop and souvenir boutique called ‘Waterfall Souvenir Shop’.

He manufactures key rings, coco-de-mer replicas, flower pots and sculptures which he then sells, mostly to tourists and in other souvenir shops such as at Camion Hall.

His shop is located in the district where he resides, Port Glaud, on the way to the popular Port Glaud waterfall, hence the name.

Channel works in his workshop on Saturdays and Sundays while his sister looks after his shop during the weekdays when he is at the centre.

Love and family life

Aside from his business, Channel’s greatest pride is the fact that he has his own home and that he is the father of two children, a 21-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son.

He noted that the relationship with the mothers of his children did not work out but that he finally met his wife on one beautiful Easter day in 2010.

They were soon married, but Channel lost her less than three years after they had met when she passed away in June 2013.

“She was a resident of Anse Boileau but we met in Port Glaud. She was a wonderful baker and her sister, who lives in England, invited us to come there so my wife could start a baking business but unfortunately our dream did not come true because of her passing.”

He described her death as one of the saddest moments of his life.

Challenges

Channel said that he has faced various difficulties in prior relationships because of his disability but he eventually got married to someone who understood him, although she was a hearing person.

He is presently in a relationship with a woman who is also deaf and the two understand each other quite well.

Living as a non-hearing person can be quite challenging and often people would think that Channel is ignoring them when they are speaking to him without realising that he is hard of hearing.

The uncomfortable truth is that public places, infrastructure and institutions in the country have not been designed and adapted over recent years to accommodate the disabled persons in our society.

This makes it harder for them to be independent and self-sufficient because they almost always need the help of someone.

In regards to people that are hard of hearing, they often need a translator to speak on their behalf such as when they go to banks and government offices.

Channel’s deceased wife provided this support when he was going about setting up his business.

Channel recounted a situation where he had to appear before the family tribunal to settle a matter related to his younger child.

“They spoke to me but I did not understand them and I felt embarrassed because the persons responsible of the tribunal thought that I was joking. They did not understand that I was deaf.”

To note, Channel communicates through speech, which is a bit slurred, and although he does not use sign language, he can read lips.

His now deceased wife, again, gave a helping hand by speaking on his behalf during the family tribunal debacle.

Given his challenges, Channel’s word of advice for other disabled men is to “be more like me, more independent.

Throughout his many years of being resolute, Channel has this advice for other disabled men: “I want other disabled men to be more like me, be more independent. I have my own house, help out my mother and wake up every day with the aim of working hard.”|

Compiled by Elsie Pointe, assisted by Raissa Uranie and Jason Bonne