SUCCESS STORY: Education for Disabilities
From Dependency to Independence
Ms. Time Hamad Ali, a 12 year old pupil of Micheweni primary school in Pemba has severely crippled limbs, and until 2 weeks ago (after the disability workshop), used a "push wheelchair" to go to school. Due to mobility constraints, she could not start schooling on time. She is only in standard two while her age-mates are in standard six. Her testimony was given by her class teacher, Mr. Suleiman Bakar Hamad at the MKEZA project teachers' workshop on "Education for ALL: Ensuring Educational Opportunities for all children, including children with disabilities in Zanzibar" that was held February 3-4, 2005, with USAID funding.
Desperate to help this family, mwalimu Suleiman found an NGO, Umoja wa Walemavu Zanzibar (UWZ) based in Stone Town, Zanzibar, which was willing to donate a tricycle wheel chair. However, UWZ policy requires recipients, parents or guardians who make requests for donations to contribute a fraction of the total cost of the item. In this case, Time's parents were required to contribute Ts.30,000 (USD 30). Unfortunately, they were unable to raise this money. The design of the tricycle would allow Ms. Hamad the opportunity to cycle herself to school, yet it was lying in the UWZ store because her family was unable to raise the funds needed by UWZ.
Ms. Hamad's teacher revealed that she is doing exceedingly well in school. Moreover, her parents consider her 'their beckon of hope', and are counting on her for delivery from abject poverty.
Most, if not all workshops participants were visibly touched by this moving testimony. During discussion time, teachers offered some ideas of how they thought Ms. Hamad's problem would be solved. The day's workshop agenda included discussions on "who is the community?" and "moving people with disability from consumers to producers". Communities were defined in the context of Zanzibar as the: "aggregate of households within a defined geographical area or a group of people brought together by a desire to pursue common goals/objectives, vision, standards and norms of operation/interaction".
The workshop also touched on issues like societal roles in support of vulnerable members of the community, including people with disabilities. Participants acknowledged that the contribution of each member of the community is important for its survival and prosperity. The analogies and the other real life stories given during these discussions seemed to be in abstract terms without offering any concrete solution for Ms. Hamad's predicament.
Mobilizing funds for Time
As the day's agenda was coming to an end, one participant who had been reflecting deeply on Ms. Hamad's problem called for the attention of the participants. He asked if they felt there was any way of helping Time from amongst themselves, as a community of people brought together by a commitment to ensure that children with disabilities in Zanzibar have access to quality education. The response was dramatic.
The idea to mobilize funds for Ms. Hamad was proposed, to take place on the spot. Participants went further and agreed that her teacher would go directly to the UWZ head office and finalize the tricycle donation procedures before returning to Pemba should this fund-raiser succeed.
A small show of solidarity followed, and one that would make a dream come true for Ms. Hamad. Within 10 minutes, the participants and facilitators at the workshop mobilized Tsh. 53,000 (USD 53), almost double the amount that was originally needed by Ms. Hamad's parents. This cash was handed to her teacher by the participants with explicit instructions to purchase the tricycle and use the remaining money to buy exercise books, a uniform or any other school materials that were needed.
A week after the workshop, Ms. Hamad was happily riding herself to and from school while her parents happily went on with their daily survival chores. They no longer had to worry about their child missing classes or dropping out of school for lack of someone to push her there.
Ripple effects of Ms. Hamad's testimony
Time's testimony has already had its ripple effects in Pemba. The week her wheel chair arrived, teachers, parents, school management committee and community leaders of another school (Pandani primary school) somehow managed to notice for the first time in years the difficulties one of their own physically disabled students was facing. Though not severely affected, this student has to limp for several kilometers to school, sometimes getting there after teaching has started and returning home late.
A teacher who had attended the MKEZA disabilities workshop narrated Ms. Hamad's case to the Pandani school community, and the powerful emotions it had elicited. This motivated the community who felt that this example was worth emulating. They mobilized Tsh. 40,000 (USD 40.00) for the purchase of a bicycle for the said student. Although the amount collected is not enough (as another Tsh.40, 000 - USD 40.00 is required), there is commitment to meet the target soon.
|
