Tucked in the quiet surroundings of Makueni County, Kathonzweni HGM Primary School is a small, home-like, standalone institution that has become a beacon of hope for children with special needs through its warm and inclusive learning environment.
As you enter Kathonzweni HGM Primary School, on your left hand stands a small home with 30 pupils, all of whom are differently-abled.
Some welcome you with a smile, others nod heads, and lift hands as you spot others crawling, walking by crutches, or being pushed in wheelchairs, but all look comfortable and well taken care of.
They are integrated in the classrooms with the other pupils who love and assist them daily.
Kathonzweni HGM is a school with a population of 344, including the small home, and the majority of those who are differently abled and very sharp in class.
Two boys and a girl were selected to join the national school in the last national examinations. However, due to the distance, the physically challenged girl joined Mwaani Girls, one of the best schools around Wote town.
The school head teacher, Rosina Muiya, noted that they treat those children very well, so even during closing, some want to remain behind.
“When in school, they have wheelchairs but leave them here as they go home. Their well-being is ensured, especially for the physically challenged,” she said.
She noted that the pupils like the school so much, unlike in some schools where they misuse and molest such children, thus ending up hating schools.
“Here we make sure that the kids are treated well. We give them an easy time by loving and giving them priority. We ensure they are well fed, stay in a clean environment with sufficient water,” said Muiya.
Some of these children need some specialist teaching and the school offers vocational training to the children with acute cerebral palsy and other mentally challenged learners.
“Trust me, there are those who can’t read or write, regardless of how many times you teach them. Those are the pupils we offer skills to, and they do better,” Muiya says.
The head teacher called upon those in denial to stop locking their kids at home, reminding them God had a reason for that.
With such parents, much counselling is needed to accept the situation.
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“Infact, we have around seven volunteers in the small home who help out two matrons in assisting the PWDs in the small home,” said the deputy head teacher Michael Ndunda, a Special Needs Education (SNE) teacher.
Ndunda notes that, funny enough, some parents have never accepted that they have disabled children; they live in denial, thus locking them up.
While locking up such children remains a concern, national government administrative officers must step in and advocate against this practice. These children deserve to enjoy their right to education and all other fundamental rights.
“Let us campaign and sensitise the public on this,” he added.
However, some of the challenges are that the government is not putting more emphasis on physically impaired individuals, forgetting that they come with other conditions.
Again, another boys’ dormitory is needed since they don’t want to turn away learners due to a lack of space. Some wheelchairs are too old, beds need to be replaced with metallic ones, and some of the kids use diapers, so they accept any kind of donation.
There is a call to make the small home a stand-alone school. This would attract more learners, donors, and many other advantages in society.
By Lydia Ngoolo
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