Stakeholders in Garissa call for support of children with special needs

Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed speaking at the Garissa school for the mentally handicapped

A clarion call has been made to all stakeholders in Garissa to join in the fight to ensure children with special needs are valued, supported, and empowered to reach their potential.

Several speakers who spoke during the last day of an awareness and medical camp for PWDs that was held at the Garissa school for the mentally handicapped called for a collective responsibility from everyone ensuring that the society is more inclusive and that no one feels neglected.

The 3 days camp that brought together several government and Non-governmental organizations was also used by the [KISE]  to carry out the disability conditions of the children who had autism,  down syndrome, physical disability, eyesight disability and other conditions.

The camp was organized by Safe Surgical Aid, in collaboration with the Office of the Garissa Township MP, the Kenya Institute of Special Education, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities,(NCPWD), Mountain of Mercy, Boyne Healthcare and Northern Advocacy.

Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed said far too long, stigma and myths have silenced PWDs saying that the most groups were the children.

“We need to stand up now, unite and break those chains. Let’s not hide our children! They are not burdens, they are blessings. They need love, not shame,” he said.

Dekow while thanking the organizers and partners said the ongoing campaign ‘DontHideMe’ has yielded positive results since many parents are bringing out their children with special needs for assistance disclosing that more than 400 children benefited from the camp.

“This was more than a medical camp—it was a movement of love, advocacy and acceptance for our children with different conditions and other developmental disabilities. I am happy that the society is slowly but surely changing,”  he said.

He said that going forward 92 children whose details have already been captured and who are spread across the Township sub-county will be facilitated by the Huduma centre branch manager to get birth certificates.

The Director General of Education Elias Abdi said that the ministry will continue will continue providing for their needs once they are enrolled in school.

“The ministry has over the years provided for the needs of these children. We have adopted the curriculum for them. In terms of financing these children are given top-up capitation as compared to the other children,” he said.

He disclosed that the government is planning to put up a World Bank-supported referral centre where parents can bring their children for referral and be able to identify their degrees of disabilities.

He reiterated the need for parents to bring out their children with special needs saying that gone are the days when parents used to hide them.

“We urge all Kenyans to embrace and support children with developmental disabilities, recognizing their unique abilities and ensuring they receive care, attention, and protection equal to every other child.  The government  will not entertain who is doing anything to the contrary because this amounts to denying the children his or her rights,” he said.

Shinaz Abdiwahid from the Mountain of Mercy said that that having a disabled child was challenging to many parents calling for concerted efforts from the government and other stakeholders to make their lives bearable.

Shinaz whose organization donated a van to the school further said that there was a need for organizations and donors to help in bringing more wheelchairs saying the lack of them had affected their mobility.

On his part, Ali Bashir from SAFE Surgical Aid said that they decided to take the ‘DontHideMe’ campaign to Garissa so that parents who are still hiding their children due to stigma and developmental disabilities are brought out so that they get assistance.

“This is a campaign that was started in Nairobi last year and we are hopeful that we will take it to all the 47  counties bringing on board both government and NGOs with the sole purpose of ensuring that no child is denied education and health as well,” he said.

Several speakers called (KISE) to conduct needs assessments across Kenya to identify gaps in healthcare, educational infrastructure, and societal attitudes. These assessments they said will guide targeted interventions.