Finally- the school has opened

The best class in whole Uganda

Here it comes - the first news about the opened school and how it goes on: 

I have been interested in the handicapped since I started training in the Netherlands and it has always remained so. In Uganda I was strucked by the fact that I saw very few handicapped people in the villages but after further investigations I discovered that it is regarded as a stigma/taboo for the children, parents and the whole society. It belongs to the world of demons and the wrath of God. These children literally don’t count. If you ask someone how many children they have that child is not counted.

The first lessons after years

There are many handicapped persons and supported by a social worker we could find these families. We tried to do something in the home situation and want to increase this in future and set up patient groups in the villages. This works a little if parents of families with similar problems can support each other.

Learning by doing

Alfred and I decided to do something for this group and we built a school so that it would be possible to minimize the limitations and enable them all to develop their potential at their own level. We also had a small possibility to give vocational training. We selected 6 children to start with basic education and 4 children to start vocational training. The selection was really not easy. 

The staff is ready now. We have one teacher paid by the government and one teacher paid by the foundation. We also have a caretaker and a cook.

Last Monday, finally, the first selected children for education arrived. It was a festive start. I was nervous about how it would go and if everyone would turn up. Two children were missing but they are coming next week which is nearly perfect (for Africa).

Emma, our teacher for art and creativity

In the future if this all goes well we would like to start with early intervention which means that families with young handicapped children can come here for support, advice and therapy.

Breakfast - Posho and Beans

Next week I will write more about how it is going on.

"Nach 1 Jahr des planens, bauens und zweifelns war auch ich neugierig und gespannt wie die Schule angenommen wird. Und wenn man dann sieht, mit welcher Begeisterung und Freude diese Kinder in der Schule sind, die jahrelang von anderen ausgeschlossen waren,
ja dann geht einem das Herz auf und es war der Mühe wert." (Alfred)