By Michael Oduor
Parents in Taita Taveta County have been urged to stop hiding children with special needs but rather register them with institutions where they can better their lives.
Voi Member of Parliament Hon. Jones Mlolwa while speaking on Friday during the handing over bursary cheques worth Sh444, 000 to learners at Mwanyambo Special School for the Deaf and Voi Primary School Special Unit, regretted that gone are the days when parents would hide kids with special needs.
He added that disability is not inability and that kids with special needs can also achieve their dreams if well supported.
The MP also applauded teachers in the two schools for taking good care of the pupils.
“I would like to comment on the good work being done by teachers in these institutions. It is not easy to handle people with disabilities and more so, when they are in large numbers as it is. This is good work and we will continue working together to ensure our children get to learn and live like any other child in Kenya can,” said Mlolwa.
On her part Taita Taveta representative at the Council for Persons Living with Disability Madam Kadzo Fatuma said that lack of a secondary school in Taita Taveta County makes it difficult for kids with special needs to further their studies locally.
She has urged all education stakeholders to work together and ensure learning institutions in the County have inclusivity where students with disability can equally learn as their fellow students.
“Having an inclusive school both primary and secondary where our children with special needs can freely learn with others will be of advantage to them. They will feel part of others and can perform better just like others do. I call upon all the education stakeholders to ensure that we get inclusive schools where such students can go and learn,” said Kadzo.
Head teachers from Mwanyambo Special School for the Deaf and Voi Primary School Special Unit said they have limited resources making it challenging to take better care of the pupils.
They urged the County Government to maintain the available classrooms and even construct others as a way to ensure the increasing number of children with disability registered in the two schools have a better place for learning and development.
Mwanyambo Special School for the Deaf has 69 students registered in the school while Voi Primary School Special Unit has 79 students bringing to a total of 148 students with disability registered in schools in Voi Sub-county.
Present during the event were the Voi Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Mr. Daniel Nduti and Mr. Elias Mberi who is the Chairman County Parents Association.
Apart from issuing bursary, Mlolwa inspected the ongoing construction of 8 classrooms in Mwanyambo Primary school in Voi which is being funded by National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) Voi Sub-county.
