Funding application from KWEPU (Kamayoge Women Education Progressive Unit CBO)
Background
NYAMUGA Special School for physically and health impaired students is a boarding elementary school located on the east side of Rusinga Island, about 2 km from Mbita town. It is built on a 1 ½ hectare plot of land. It has a total of 212 students from first to eighth grade. The school has a total of eleven government teachers [TSC] and two board teachers [BOM] who are paid by the parents.
NYAMUGA Special School is the only school for physically and health impaired students in Mbita Constituency, hence the students come from different parts of the constituency and other parts of Homabay County. It is a public school although parents pay school fees.
The institution’s mission, i. e. provide an enabling environment so that students with special needs have equal access to quality and relevant education to stand on their own two feet and fully integrate into the community, cannot be met due to lack of basic materials.
In our conversation with the principal, it became clear to us that these physically and health impaired students can only reach their full potential if they are treated equally and have access to all basic needs. Currently, the school lacks sufficient bedding, mobility aids such as crutches, orthopedic shoes, adapted chairs and wheelchairs.
Poverty is often the cause of the lack of the above named items at the facility. Most parents do not have reliable and sustainable sources of income as they are mainly fishermen and small farmers. Overfishing of the lake has contributed to a nearly 98% decline in fishing in the region and most fishermen end up with nothing or not enough to feed the whole family, leaving them unable to meet their parental responsibilities at school and causing attention deficits in many parents.
Situation at the facility
During our discussions with the school director and the board of directors of the facility, we were told that of the 212 students in this school, fifteen [15] are supposed to sit on wheelchairs, but the facility only has a total of four old wheelchairs, forcing the other students to slide on their knees. Only four new wheelchairs can be purchased from the school.
The facility has five spacious dormitories, two of which were built by the Mbita Constituency Development Fund, two by the national government, and one by the community through fundraising [harambee]. Although the dormitories are spacious enough, some students still share beds because the school does not have that many places.
Parents should provide their children with full school uniforms, but a significant number of students still do not have uniforms, and they feel abandoned and neglected, as children with special needs are at higher risk in society, which negatively affects their social and academic skills. Children with disabilities always suffer the most in families living below the poverty index because parents would rather give the most attention to the other category.
Goals
- We work to ensure that these physically and health impaired children have access to a conducive learning environment to acquire quality and relevant education that will allow them to be independent and fully integrated into the community, because disability is not an inability.
- We work for the creation of a society in which the vulnerable group of people are able to live a dignified life with equal and equitable access to a better future,
- and for the expansion of the facility to accommodate more children who are still at school due to inadequate aids for the physically disabled.
Requirements
In order to achieve the above goals, the facility needs the following, among others:
In order to help the physically and health impaired students to reach their full potential and to strengthen their self-reliance and independence, we would like to consider providing some of them with tools or machines with which they can start their own business after completing their education, depending on the character of the students and their family background. We also plan to provide them with annual support. We consider supporting them with the following:
Should the facility be assisted in acquiring the above named items, we anticipate that this will enable them to provide quality services to these less fortunate individuals. Given the Covid 19 pandemic, it is also very risky for them to share bedding.
Implementation of the program
KWEPU will coordinate all activities with the school. They will purchase and transport the supplies and issue receipts for each item in the budget listed with an amount. They will share visual and written reports and document progress after support.
KWEPU organizes meetings with the teachers, principal and school management committee. During the meetings, each child’s history, as recorded in the school’s admissions book, is discussed to help identify each child’s background. Once selected, the parents of the selected students are contacted to inform them of the assistance provided. Items will be delivered to the selected students in front of the parents or guardians.
The community commits to the following community service support:
- Painting of 2 dormitories
- Clean up and sustainably maintain Nyamuga School grounds
- Plant shade trees with seedlings donated by KWEPU.
Application and contact: RAMANUS ABADE
SUPPORT WELCOME
KWEPU and the children of NYAMUGA School are in need of our support. With together 7,400 € support a lot can be achieved for many children.
Do you like this initiative and want to give the children of the NYAMANUGA school on Rusinga a chance?
Reference: NYAMUGA
Donation receipts will of course be issued. You are welcome to contact us.