THE CHALLENGE
UNICEF (2014) estimates about 16% of Ugandan children are disabled and only 5% of the children are able to access inclusive school and 10% in special needs school. Children with special needs are the most marginalized and their concerns are often ignored. They face pervasive barriers that limit their participation in education and physical activity. While there have been recent efforts to improve inclusion of children with disabilities in Uganda, exclusion is still persistent with high fees of care and support, educating and social inclusion amongst these children.
OUR WORK
We are providing Treatment, Childcare, Support and Protection to children that are physically handicapped with special needs in dire need for basic needs, inclusive education, medical treatment, and physiotherapy support. Our communities have huge numbers of vulnerable handicapped children hidden in the slums with different social, economic and health issues. We aim at establishing a children’s center that creates practical learning materials to support special needs children and physiotherapy services towards the disabled children. We have identified and supporting 154 children from the slums that are handicapped and those with special needs. Our goal is to reduce the stigma around special needs children to provide inclusive education to thrive.
DONATE: Partner with us to build a Special Needs Children’s Centers that will facilitate treatment, education, recreation and play centers.
Achievements / Successes
2019 – 2022: We started providing special needs children from slums in the different districts with Childcare within their homes. We discovered 154 children that were hidden in delapidated houses because the parents feared to be discriminated and stigmatized. We offered medical treatment, pysiotherapy and care through basic needs like foodstuffs, cleaning items, wheelchairs, diapers, among others.
We trained their parents and guardians in Childcare, Support and Protection with a message of not giving up on their children.
Achievements / Successes
2023 – 2024: Special Needs Children are now engaged in school so as to attain education. We use different skills including the production of Learning matrials from local materials for the children to learn easily. The parents and guardians have been involved in supporting the children during the speech therapy, writing lessons, physical exercises, among other activities.
Through partnreships, we have managed to support more children in the different districts including Wakiso, Mukono, Jinja, Kampala, and Mbale districts.
THE FUTURE
