Build an inclusive future for kids with disability

My name is Gamukama Murungi, and I am a speech and language therapist (SLT), working with Kyaninga Child Development Centre (KCDC) Kasese branch. With more than 3 years of experience working with children with disabilities (CWDs), I have been able to help many CWDs improve their feeding and swallowing as well as general communication in many ways. This has greatly improved their way of life as well as their families. Chris and his mother wear a big smile today because of KCDC and my direct intervention. My day-to-day experiences with these children just like this make my days brighter, and I would like to share Chris’ story with you.

After a struggle as an African family who had lost 3 of their 7 children, Rosette thought they were lucky to have one more the time she conceived. The pregnancy was normal and delivered at full term. Two months later, the frustration from the past hit again as their little boy (Chris) started falling sick at 2 months of age. Along with the sickness was recurrent pneumonia which did not respond to medication. Chris could hardly eat anything because he was vomiting constantly, and he was generally weak and failing to gain weight. In July 2018, she heard about KCDC where she enrolled as Chris was 10 months. He was a happy child with abilities to see, hear, smile, and hold small objects. However, he was delayed in achieving developmental milestones, he was unable to sit, crawl, stand and talk just like children of the same age around here.

With the multi-disciplinary intervention from the great team at KCDC Kasese, Chris started achieving his lost milestones slowly by slowly. For a speech and language therapist, Chris’ feeding was a major priority. Using the locally available resources, I and Chris’ mother modified the texture of his food, made mealtimes more playful as well as provided smaller utensils to fit Chris’ needs. Slowly by slowly, Chris learnt to feed with ease and swallow safely. There was a significant change in his general health as the vomiting and recurrent chest infections resolved and he was able to gain weight, making him stronger and more resilient.

 Today, Chris is enrolled in a school, able to feed himself, use 3-word long sentences and tell stories. On seeing the therapist and mother through the window, Chris stood and said “Chicha! mama yangye”. To mean “Teacher! My mummy” as he pointed to me through the window.  I remember quoting her with the statement with “Konka nomanya hari Kyaninga eihire omwana wangye iwe? to mean, ‘but do you know how KCDC has gotten my son?’ Mama Chris told the teachers when I visited him at school.

With your assistance, at KCDC, we have been able to make significant changes in the lives of children with disabilities just like Chris, their families and communities. 

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Schools in Uganda have been closed for the past 20 months, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and students living in rural western Uganda, along with other regions of the country, have not received online tuition or home schooling during this time due to a lack of teaching resources and digital poverty. There are concerns that many young people will not return to the classroom for a number of reasons, including joining the workforce, teenage pregnancy and early marriage, financial insecurity and changing family priorities.

Kyaninga Child Development Centre’s special needs education team has used this time to strengthen home-based learning through individual home visits to students with disabilities to reduce the learning gap and to encourage students to return to the classroom. These visits have focused on individual learning needs, including reading, writing, numeracy and literacy.

We haven’t neglected the schools either during this time and have constructed wheelchair accessible pit latrines in 10 partner schools.

Disability accessible hygiene facilities for Children with Disabilities

Children with disabilities (CwDs) remain one of the principal groups excluded from education globally. In Uganda, an estimated 9% of CwDs enrol in primary school. Furthermore, those who do attend are more likely to be excluded within the classroom, fail to progress, and consequently drop out (UNESCO 2015). There are several factors that prevent CwDs from attending school, including lack of accessible classrooms and toilets, as well as non-inclusive attitudes and teaching strategies.  According to the DFID report, Education for Children with Disabilities - Improving Access and Quality, school planning and construction rarely consider issues of accessibility and barrier-free design. A simple lack of accessible toilets will prevent CwDs from going to school and potentially expose them to increased health risks. Although many governments and agencies have policies about the inclusion of CwDs in school, these rarely consider water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) issues.

Children with disabilities, especially girls, are often not able to attend schools because they do not have access to a toilet. Many do not eat or drink water while at school to avoid having to use the bathroom which additionally has adverse effects on their ability to concentrate and learn. A full day of school without access to WASH facilities is not only unsafe to a child’s health, but for a girl who is menstruating, it is impossible.

According to World Vision Disability Inclusive WASH report 2014, the effects of disability inclusive WASH cascade into other areas of life, including, for example, stronger self-esteem, better access to education, improved participation in social life, and greater livelihood opportunities. Most importantly, it is about recognising the value and dignity of each person and taking actions to express this concretely.

We are thrilled that students like Veronica will have access to better facilities when they return to school, enhancing their ability to participate in class without worrying about sanitation and hygiene and not having to miss days of school because of their menstruation hygiene.

Links:

• Find out more about us here
• Follow the latest from the field