NFDK hands over classrooms worthy Sh3million to Ndiko special school

Thika,

Saturday, September 30, 2023

KNA by Muoki Charles

Pupils living with disabilities at Ndiko special School, Gatundu North constituency, Kiambu County are a happy lot after the national government built them modern classroom blocks to improve their learning environment.

Constructed by the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya (NFDK), the classrooms that cost Sh3 million are expected to not only increase the enrollment of disabled children from the area but will also improve the learning environment. 

The new classrooms are a boost from a squeezed, poorly equipped and dilapidated facility that they were initially using.

The classrooms are part of another three that NFDK has handed over this week in Nairobi and Kirinyaga among other counties all valued at about Sh 14 million.

NFDK Chair Prof Julia Ojiambo said the completed projects brings the number of all the flagship projects implemented by NFDK to 199.

"These are part of empowerment programmes to help children with disabilities access education without the challenges of facilities and classrooms. We expect to roll out the construction of more classrooms targeting needy schools in other parts of the country,” said Ojiambo.

While noting that the government has programmes to help children with disabilities to access education, Prof Ojiambo called on parents with such children not to hide them in their homes but take them to schools.

Her sentiments were echoed by Cecilia Mbaka, a board trustee member at NDFK who highlighted the environmental and attitudinal challenges that children living with disabilities grapple with and which often results in denying them their right to education.

She called for implementation of various measures to improve the learners’ access and participate in education matters.

Mbaka singled out the need to construct ramps, accessible sanitation facilities among others which she said will mitigate the physical barriers that are a challenge to acquisition of right to education for learners living with disabilities.

She said NFDK was committed to supporting individual persons with disabilities with mobility aids, rehabilitative equipment and vocational tools of trade to enable them acquire a high-quality life.

  Further, Mbaka noted that NFDK will continue to donate funds for PWDs institutions development, lobbying and advocating for the rights of PWDs and funding various flagship projects to better the lives of persons abled differently.

“We will continue to engage stakeholders in raising awareness on disability issues. We also carry out advocacy initiatives with a view of bringing changes in legislation, policy making and also shaping public perception on disability,” said Mbaka.

Parents whose children have been learning at the hitherto poorly equipped institution welcomed the new facilities describing them as a boost from the old facility and would improve the learning environment.

They called on other well-wishers to continue supporting children with disabilities by equipping the schools to enable them realize their future dreams.

"The former classroom was quite squeezed and dilapidated. However, with the new one, they have a better environment to learn," said Flora Wambui, one of the parents.

The parents at the same time said the new facilities will improve enrollment of learners saying that most children with various forms of disabilities are hidden at home over fears of being stigmatised in the community.

Courtesy; KNA