Kyaninga Inclusive Model School

As the term draws to close at KIMS we are reflecting on a mixed bag of fortunes this last few months. The term got off to a flying start with 6 new arrivals at KIMS! One of our newest members is a delightful little girl called Florence who exemplifies both the successes and challenges faced by the families and children from KIMS. Florence, who has speech and language difficulties and some cognitive impairment, lives with her mother; her father is forced by financial stresses to work away from home. Florence has 2 other siblings, one with cerebral palsy and one with spina bifida. Florence's hard-working mum looks after three children by herself despite having to cope with the grief of the loss of 3 other children. The family are expecting another child very shortly and, moreover, Florence's Mum currently has malaria, which at 8 months pregnant is highly dangerous.

There are no magic wand solutions to challenges such as those faced by Florence’s family, but KIMS can at least ease the pressure on the family by: providing a support group for mother’s in similar situations to share their stories and support each other; ensuring Florence’s Mother has the medication she needs to protect her unborn child and fight off malaria; organising community assistance to help Florence’s mother in her current desperate situation; and giving Florence the very best education possible, allowing her to help break the cycle of poverty and disability and improve not only her life chances but that of her siblings.

Florence’s family is sadly not an isolated case and many of the children at KIMS have families in similar situations. It is only with the help of our big-hearted and generous benefactors that KIMS can continue to provide this crucial support, in so many aspects of life, to families struggling with hardships we can barely begin to imagine.

With support from of our compassionate donors we are ending the term on a happy note with a visit from Father Christmas! Santa, who arrived on a trailer drawn by motorbikes (reindeer are pretty difficult to come by in Uganda!)  bought presents and a cheery smile which lit up the faces of the KIMS children and provided us all with a reason to sing, dance and be merry – even Florence.