By Dennis Bett
The Elgeyo-Marakwet County Government has offered to donate a piece of land for establishment of a Sh60 million autism Center at the Iten County Referral Hospital.
The school will target children living with the condition.
Governor Alex Tolgos recently constituted a committee comprising two separate groups tasked to carry out feasibility study ahead of the commencement of the worthy project.
Autism is a serious developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact.
Speaking at his Iten Town offices when he received a delegation of autism crusaders led by beauty queen Miss World Africa 2017 Magline Jeruto alongside officials from Health department and Maxglobal organization, Tolgos said his Government will set aside piece of land and facilitate infrastructural development for the facility.
Ms. Jeruto who was voted fifth in beauty pageant competition in Sanya, China in 2017 and crowned Miss World Africa, has vowed to sustain a meaningful autism campaign to have the facility put up in her home county, Elgeyo-Marakwet.
“This is a noble idea and we shall give you the necessary support to realise this course. Remember there is no other autism center in Kenya and therefore this will be one of its kind,” said Tolgos.
The beauty queen challenged parents with children with detectable autism symptoms to take them for assessment in special schools instead of hiding them at home.
She said: “I believe that there are children hidden at their homes and yet they need help. In fact a serious awareness is needed to have these children helped,”
Laura Kandie, official representative of Maxglobal charitable organization said putting up the facility could require over Sh60 million according to a developed concept that was already in place.
She said her agency together with Jeruto would rally well-wishers to pool resources for the establishment of the facility in Iten.
Deputy Governor Wisely Rotich said the facility would go a long way in addressing the plight of the children whose parents do not have access to such institutions in the region.
