Education for children with disabilities, Kenya

Supporting Young People Beyond the Classroom

This update highlights a recent visit by our Kenya Programme Manager, Rob Aley, to the special education units in Mitaboni and Thinu. During his trip, Rob also followed up with several former students with learning disabilities who have transitioned from school into adulthood, young people whom Advantage Africa and their schools have supported to build meaningful, purposeful lives after education.

Mary’s transition to adulthood

One such young woman is Mary, now 23 years old. She left Mitaboni school just over a year ago following a carefully planned transition. Mary lives with her mother and grandmother on a one-acre farm. Both have been actively involved in preparing for her move from school to home, working closely with teachers who made several home visits to ensure Mary’s future plans reflected her interests and skills which were being enhanced at school.

Thanks to your support, Mary was provided with a cow to start her own small-scale livestock enterprise, a project chosen to suit her strengths and home environment. Rob and Mr Mutuku, Mary’s former teacher, were warmly welcomed on their visit and saw first-hand the positive impact the transition has had. Although Mary does not use speech, she greeted them with her usual smiles and proudly showed them her cow.

Her mother and grandmother told us that Mary is now more confident and independent. She follows a daily routine that includes household chores, caring for her cow, and tending to a few chickens recently added by the family. Mary also takes part in family events and attends church on Sundays. Her mother shared that the local community is welcoming, and there is little stigma surrounding her disability. Mary shows no interest in returning to school, having embraced her adult life with enthusiasm and purpose.

As her grandmother put it; ‘Thank you to everyone who has helped our girl. She can now look after herself at home and needs very little help from us. We never knew what she would do, we had no idea, we never saw this good thing coming!’

Erik’s path to independence

Among Rob’s other home visits during his recent trip to Kenya was one to Erik, a 27-year-old school-leaver who completed his education at Thinu Special Unit six months earlier. Erik, who has moderate learning disabilities, is described by his former teacher Mr Kitonga as a sociable and helpful young man. Before the introduction of our structured transition programme, Erik had become ‘stuck’ at school, as both his family and teachers lacked the knowledge and tools to support his next steps into adult life.

Erik lives with his parents and brother on a small quarter-acre subsistence farm, where they grow napier grass for animal feed. His parents have five older children who have since left home. Erik had always shown an interest in farming and animal care, but the family couldn’t afford a cow until they received support through our project.

Erik’s mother explained that they were fully supportive of Erik leaving school to start a home-based enterprise, as they felt there were no other realistic options for him, and he was clearly too old to remain in school. They told us ‘Erik is now doing very well, he loves caring for his cow and when we are out, he is now independent enough to stay at home alone without any concerns’.

Mr Kitonga added that Erik was one of eight young adults who made a successful transition from Thinu last year. He said how proud they were to mark the occasion with a joyful graduation ceremony. ‘Traditionally in Kenya, special schools do not hold graduation ceremonies like mainstream schools,’ he said, ‘but now we recognise that our learners deserve the same recognition as any others.’

These life-changing outcomes for Mary, Erik, and many others would not have been possible without your continued generosity. Thank you for helping our young people with learning disabilities build dignified, purposeful lives beyond the classroom.