Andrew Foster (educator)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Jackson Foster was a missionary
to the Deaf in Africa from 1956 until his death in 1987. He became the first Black Deaf person to earn a bachelor's degree from Gallaudet College
and the first to earn a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University
. Eventually receiving a Master's Degree from Seattle Pacific Christian College, he founded Christian Mission for the Deaf African in 1956, and set out for Liberia
, Africa; he established the first school of his mission in Ghana.
Andrew Foster was born in Ensley, Alabama, the son of a coal miner. His parents names were Wiley and Veline. He and his younger brother Edward became deaf through spinal meningitis in 1936. Educational opportunities for African Americans in that era prevented him from achieving more than a sixth-grade education. At the age of sixteen, he moved to Detroit, Michigan
to live with his aunt and attended Bethany Pembroke church where he later committed his life to the call of Christ
. He completed high school through a correspondence course with an American School in Chicago, Ill in 1951.
In 1961 Andrew was married to Berta, a deaf German
, and together they have 5 children (4 boys and 1 girl). Gallaudet College awarded him an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters in 1970 for his accomplishment.
The challenges for deaf ministry in
central and west Africa were twofold: not only were there no churches for the deaf in most populous regions of Africa, but there were no schools for the deaf. Consequently, the deaf were completely illiterate. The most a deaf person could hope for was to become the family servant
and use rudimentary signs invented by the family. In remote villages, some deaf children were thought to be cursed by demons and abandoned to be eaten by wild animals.
he found a public school willing to allow him to use their facility after hours to teach the deaf, and within months the school had a waiting list of over 300 families wanting to send their deaf children to his school. As the deaf began to become literate, Foster would supplement their education with trade skills, and, most importantly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Foster also convinced existing churches and missions to expand their ministry to include the deaf.
After staying on as the administrator of the Ghana school for three years, Foster moved on to Nigeria
to repeat the successes he had seen in Ghana. It was in Ibadan, Nigeria, that he would eventually set up his headquarters and create a teacher-training facility as he continued to expand his work to over thirty countries in the West and Central regions of Africa. His work included schools, Sunday schools, churches, youth camps and teacher-training facilities reaching tens of thousands of deaf - teaching many of them not only their own names, but also the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
During 30 years of service Dr. Andrew Foster founded 31 schools and 2 centers, successively in Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Togo, Chad, Senegal, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Zaire (presently Democratic Republic of Congo), Burkina Faso, Burundi and Gabon. About the same number of Sunday Schools and churches were established in those countries, and also in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Congo and Guinea. For much of his life Dr. Andrew Foster spent six months of the year in Africa establishing schools and the other six months in the United States raising money to support these schools.
ROBERT FOSTER
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to the Deaf in Africa from 1956 until his death in 1987. He became the first Black Deaf person to earn a bachelor's degree from Gallaudet College
Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University is a federally-chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, located in the District of Columbia, U.S...
and the first to earn a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
. Eventually receiving a Master's Degree from Seattle Pacific Christian College, he founded Christian Mission for the Deaf African in 1956, and set out for Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, Africa; he established the first school of his mission in Ghana.
Andrew Foster was born in Ensley, Alabama, the son of a coal miner. His parents names were Wiley and Veline. He and his younger brother Edward became deaf through spinal meningitis in 1936. Educational opportunities for African Americans in that era prevented him from achieving more than a sixth-grade education. At the age of sixteen, he moved to Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
to live with his aunt and attended Bethany Pembroke church where he later committed his life to the call of Christ
Vocation
A vocation , is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.-Senses:...
. He completed high school through a correspondence course with an American School in Chicago, Ill in 1951.
In 1961 Andrew was married to Berta, a deaf German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and together they have 5 children (4 boys and 1 girl). Gallaudet College awarded him an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters in 1970 for his accomplishment.
Deaf Education in Africa
There Foster encountered cultures so oppressive of deaf people that parents often hid their deaf children at home or abandoned them altogether. Hearing missionaries and school administrators told him that deaf children didn't even exist in Africa. But shortly after opening a school for the deaf in Accra, Ghana, his school was filled to capacity and had a long waiting list. Over time, Foster would travel from country to country, opening some 30 different schools, churches, Sunday schools and centers for the deaf in countries all across central Africa, from Senegal to Kenya.The challenges for deaf ministry in
central and west Africa were twofold: not only were there no churches for the deaf in most populous regions of Africa, but there were no schools for the deaf. Consequently, the deaf were completely illiterate. The most a deaf person could hope for was to become the family servant
and use rudimentary signs invented by the family. In remote villages, some deaf children were thought to be cursed by demons and abandoned to be eaten by wild animals.
Goal and Success
Foster began his work in 1956 by convincing school officials to let him use their classrooms after hours to teach the deaf. In GhanaGhana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
he found a public school willing to allow him to use their facility after hours to teach the deaf, and within months the school had a waiting list of over 300 families wanting to send their deaf children to his school. As the deaf began to become literate, Foster would supplement their education with trade skills, and, most importantly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Foster also convinced existing churches and missions to expand their ministry to include the deaf.
After staying on as the administrator of the Ghana school for three years, Foster moved on to Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
to repeat the successes he had seen in Ghana. It was in Ibadan, Nigeria, that he would eventually set up his headquarters and create a teacher-training facility as he continued to expand his work to over thirty countries in the West and Central regions of Africa. His work included schools, Sunday schools, churches, youth camps and teacher-training facilities reaching tens of thousands of deaf - teaching many of them not only their own names, but also the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
During 30 years of service Dr. Andrew Foster founded 31 schools and 2 centers, successively in Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Togo, Chad, Senegal, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Zaire (presently Democratic Republic of Congo), Burkina Faso, Burundi and Gabon. About the same number of Sunday Schools and churches were established in those countries, and also in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Congo and Guinea. For much of his life Dr. Andrew Foster spent six months of the year in Africa establishing schools and the other six months in the United States raising money to support these schools.
ROBERT FOSTER
Media
Deaf Mosaic segment - Episode #404 of the Gallaudet University-produced Deaf Mosaic had a tribute to Andrew Foster.- Described and Captioned Media Program registration required, physical loan for classroom setting.
- Gallaudet University Video Library Catalog, online viewing available.
See also
- Education in AfricaEducation in AfricaEducation in Africa began as a tool to prepare the local youth to take their place in their respective societies and not necessarily for life outside of Africa. In some areas, the pre-European colonialism schooling system consisted of groups of older people teaching aspects and rituals that would...
- Deafness for a comparison of the medical, disability and cultural models of deafness.
- Deaf cultureDeaf cultureDeaf culture describes the social beliefs, behaviors, art, literary traditions, history, values and shared institutions of communities that are affected by deafness and which use sign languages as the main means of communication. When used as a cultural label, the word deaf is often written with a...
- American Sign LanguageAmerican Sign LanguageAmerican Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...