Rev. Dr. Arie Jozinus Andeweg (1932-1999) known as Father Andy
v Knight of Oranje-Nassau
v Knight of the Cedars of Lebanon
v Officer of the Cedars of Lebanon
v Golden Medal of Merit by Lions International
He was known as the "Father of all deaf people in Lebanon" , came to Lebanon in 1956 and mixed with the deaf adults dock workers in coffee houses.
He was soon able to communicate with them and established a deaf club where they can meet.
His mother was an educator of the deaf, so he sort of "absorbed" a desire to make education of the deaf his own vocation. After an illness, of which he was cured." I decided to give my life to the Lord and serve Him through the deaf."
He further states that he came through the UNESCO in Beirut, but left after three months to start a coffee house for deaf dock workers. This led to establishing a school and missionary work.
After earning a degree in speech therapy, Father Andeweg studied Theology at Oxford University and was ordained into the Anglican Church. His beliefs went so deep that he devoted his life to the less fortunate.
Throughout his life, Father Andeweg took courses in speech therapy and ran rehabilitation programs for the deaf and mentally disabled. Later in life he acquired a doctorate in Special Education form the University of Minnesota. Not only could he speak Dutch, English, French German and Arabic, but also he was widely respected for his fluency in sign language and ability to teach the partially deaf to communicate.
In 1957 with younger deaf generation in mind he founded The Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf (FAID), after being ''struck'' by the large number of deaf people in Lebanon and recognizing the lack of facilities for their education.
He was not content with just this school, in 1964 he established a school for deaf children (The Holly Land Institute for the Deaf) in Salt, Jordan and later he set up the Deaf Unit in Cairo, Egypt. More Recently a school for children with special needs in Aita Chaab, Lebanon in 1997. Under his guidance deaf clubs were started in Beirut and in other cities in the region.
Scores of teachers were trained particularly through the AMT Teacher Training Programs, which was established in 1960.
The cancer that had weakened him for some time appeared to be under control, until he had to have serious surgery in January 1999. From then on it became a struggle ending in a time of great suffering, a road he went down with great inner peace on White Sunday, the 24th of May,1999.
His work with the deaf in the Middle East has been widely acknowledged both in Lebanon and abroad. Father Andeweg never married, but adopted two sons: George and Suheil.
