It's Hard to Learn When You're Hungry!

Hands Around the World (HATW) has recently established a new partnership with Sisabelo Saka Inclusive School (SSIS) in Lusaka, Zambia. SSIS is a non-profit inclusive primary school, currently teaching 16 blind and visually impaired children.

Often rural schools in Zambia receive more support for children with disabilities mainly due to a higher concentration of disabled children in rural areas and targeted support from disability-focused organisations and government initiatives. As such, children with disabilities in urban areas are often forgotten. HATW decided to partner with this special school in Lusaka, as we believe every child should have the same opportunity to access an education.

SSIS is committed to empowering children with visual impairments and HATW’s Lunchbox Programme is supporting SSIS with the provision of school lunches. The lunches provide the children with a nutritious meal every day. Each day the children sit together and share a meal of beans, nshima (ground maize) and greens.

Providing meals to children with disabilities at school in Zambia can have a profoundly positive impact. Ensuring these children have food is improving their access to education, enhancing their nutritional status, and facilitating social inclusion.  At SSIS, the provision of a daily nutritious meal benefits these children in so many ways. The meals reduce hunger, enabling the children to concentrate in class and participate more actively in lessons, which will improve academic performance. Also, sharing a meal together each day fosters a sense of belonging, community spirit and creates a more inclusive school environment. This initiative encourages mothers and caregivers to bring their children to school and helps maintain consistent attendance.

Every day the students come to school with a parent of carer. Some of the parents remain at the school to help with the cooking of meals, strengthening the link between the school, families and the local community.

HATW also supports SSIS with the provision of uniforms and transport to and from school, enabling SSIS to provide an environment where students foster personal growth and can thrive.

Sisabelo Saka means ‘my place of safety and security’ and the school provides an amazing space for learners by creating a positive, caring and nurturing environment.

Thank you for supporting our Lunchbox Programme and providing these children with a nutritious meal, supporting their well-being and providing the opportunity of an education.

Hands Around the World (HATW) has been partnering with the Disability Community Centre (DCC) in Meru, Kenya for many years, supporting children with disabilities. The DCC delivers home-based therapy, trains caregivers, supports inclusive schools, and provides assistive devices for improved mobility and posture.

Many of the DCC’s beneficiaries are children with severe disabilities arising from cerebral palsy and birth complications. These children face major barriers in accessing essential therapy and care. To support these children, HATW supports the DCC in the implementation of a home-based therapy programme that facilitates therapy sessions at home to provide support and training to parents and caregivers. Many of the children supported have complex needs such as limited mobility, difficulty swallowing or speaking, and challenges with vision, controlling eye movements, hearing, and motor control. The programme aims to enhancing the quality of life for the children whilst also assisting close family members understand how to manage distressing symptoms.

Alongside this support, the programme also provides specialised nutrition support for 20 of the most vulnerable families. The supplementary feeding programme is aimed at improving and maintaining the nutritional status of children with severe disabilities. This component of the programme is supervised by the therapy team during home visits and food supplements are provided alongside health education to the parents/caregivers.

Supplementary feeding is essential for the children with severe disabilities for their health and nutritional well-being and to provide a combination of vital nutritious foods. Food provided by the programme includes rice, beans, green grams and milk. To ensure the dietary needs of the children are met, the programme works in partnership with the Maua Methodist Hospital nutritionist. As a result, these children receive food rich in extra sources of vitamins A and C, iron, protein, and other vital nutrients. The programme has recognised that 90% of children receiving the home-based therapy support and supplementary feeding have made significant improvements, enhancing the quality of their lives.

One of the children supported by the programme is Mungathia. He fell from a tree and sustained a spinal cord injury when he was in grade 8. His father sadly passed away and he now stays at home with his mother who has been very supportive, despite her limited daily income. However, Mungathia is now benefiting from the home-based therapy programme and the provision of nutritional food supplements, which has improved his mobility, well-being and enabled him to participate more fully in daily life.

Thank you for your support to these children, your donations are making a huge difference!