Patrich Otema is 15 years old
he was born deaf but in this remote region
of Northern Uganda, there are no school for deaf children
in his whole life, Patrick has never had a conversation
Hello. you good?
his father, Charles, looks after him
they are only able to communicate through very basic gestures
we've been sitting here and talking about Patrick in front of him
and while he's been watching us he doesn't understand what we're saying
it feels almost rude but this is what Patrick's life is like all the time
I'm here with someone who wants to change all that
Raymond Okkelo is deaf himself and a sign language teacher
do you think he could learn sign language?
this is pretty much Patrick's existence
his father gestures him what he wants him to do
and when he's finished, he goes back to his hut
to spend the rest of the day on his own
Patrick's fate is not unusual
the majority of deaf people in Sub-saharan Africa
have never been taught sign language
unable to communicate with others, they're trapped in their own minds.
Raymond became deaf as a child after about of malaria
six months ago, he traveled to the capital for intensive training in sign language
now he returned to his village to do something unprecedented
he's going to teach the first sign language course ever set up here
Raymond, are you nervous?
it's 2 o'clock, the first deaf students start turning up
and the class begins
the course has already started, but Patrick hasn't turned up yet
and I'm worried his father couldn't convince him to leave home
a few minutes later, Patrick arrives
Patrick's transformation is amazing
it's almost impossible to believe it's the same boy we met yesterday
new deaf students keep arriving
many have walked miles to be here
there's a 9-year-old boy and an 80-year-old woman
before the end of the class, each new student goes to the front
the class votes on a new name for them
this is now Patrick's sign name
and he will use it for the rest of his life
he has just been baptized into a whole new world