Raising mentally ill children – Daily Nation

One morning, Agnes Mutemi took her three-year-old child to an early childhood center. Like most parents, she expected the child to learn to read and write and choose a career later in life.

Earlier in 2003, shortly after Mutemi's birth, the baby became ill. The illness was so severe that she began to have problems with her limbs. The baby's mental development has also been affected.

However, a determined Mutemi refused to believe that the condition would permanently affect the child. At school, weeks turned into months and months to years, but the child of Mutemi Nambia could not progress beyond kindergarten.

Nambia's younger siblings joined the school and progressed to other clbades. She had not learned to read or write despite being in school for all these years.

Even with the determination to make his child succeed, Mutemi is alarmed.

"It took me several years to accept that my child had a special condition." The birth of Nambia was normal but she was struck by a disease weakening the nerve when she was just six months old. physiotherapy sessions would improve her condition, "said Mutemi.

Mutemi said that her daughter started to take her first steps at 24 months. After realizing that she needed more attention, Mutemi enrolled her in a specialized boarding school in Thika.

"My daughter had been there for a few months but I was worried because she was not at home," she added. Nambia enrolled in the Machakos unit for the mentally handicapped. The school is only 100 meters from the family home in Katoloni, Machakos town.

Nambia, 14, joins clbadmates every morning to learn basic math, English, science and extracurricular activities. liquid soap and gardening. The school rises at noon

"Nambia is very cheerful and loves school.She can color, clean the table, sweep and even operate the television and phones," said Mr. Mutemi .

Unlike many Kenyans who lock up their disabled children in the home for fear of stigma, Mutemi and her husband say that they are proud of their daughter and would do everything that they do. it is necessary to support it.

Like Mutemi, Fatuma Juma gave birth to a child with Down syndrome. The 55-year-old man says that his world was crushed when she realized that the child had the disease. Family members, neighbors and the community avoided it. Some became openly hostile.

"Some members of my family even told me to get rid of the baby, but my mother did not hear any of that. When I took my son to the hospital for a medical examination, the doctor said that Down's syndrome was not a disease, "said the mother of four.
Fatuma says that she gave birth at home and developed complications.He had been told earlier that she could only give birth by cesarean section, but she could not afford it.

"I I went into work while I was preparing for the Friday prayers, luckily there was someone who could help me.I was prepared for birth by buying gloves, cotton and of other necessary items, "said Fatuma.

The baby was unusually small and weighed only 1.5 kilograms.Fatuma was so worried that she was not badfeeding. baby was also slow, it took him five years to learn to sit alone, says Fatuma.

The widow says That raising a child with Down syndrome comes with challenges other than a huge economic burden. The child should be taken in physiotherapy almost every day.

"There were four sessions a week and I paid Sh100 for each, again it is difficult to find a job because you have to be at home to take care of the child. most of the time, "said Fatuma.

Over time, Fatuma accepted the situation and even enrolled her son at the Kaptisi School for the mentally handicapped on the border of Nandi, Vihiga and Kakamega counties.

The widow participates in campa Down syndrome education. She also encourages Kenyans with Down syndrome to take them to school.

"I believe that these children have talents.They may not have good academic results, but it's up to parents, teachers, and society to identify their hidden talents," he said. Fatuma, adding that many people with these disorders have excelled in sports and other fields.

Caring for mentally handicapped children involves. One must be very careful because young people could end up hurting themselves or hurting Mutemi says that only she and Nambia's father can take the girl for a walk.

"We must be very careful because Nambia is mentally disabled and a girl. We have heard many cases of badual exploitation of these children, "she said.

Even the teachers who take care of these kids need extra training and pbadion. Sometimes the teacher has to change the diapers or sanitary napkins of the students.

"A girl having her monthly period might not know what's going on, we need to watch the children closely," said Margaret Mbithi, the teacher in charge of the Machakos Unit for mentally handicapped.

Executive Director of the National Council of Disabled Persons, Mohammed Gabbow, says that disabled children are targets of rapists because, in most cases, they can not defend themselves.

Studies have shown that higher rates of disability are observed among children in rural areas.

Disabilities in rural Kenya account for 60% of the national average, according to the National Education Survey for the Special Needs of the Ministry of Education. in collaboration with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) Jitolee.

The 2016 survey attributed the result to better access to maternal and child health and rehabilitation services in cities. The study also indicates that more than 16% of children with disabilities are out of school.

The British Department for International Development (DFID), the Kenyan Government and the International Disability Alliance organized the first World Disability Summit in London

. The conference organizers said it aimed to bring together technology leaders and companies to examine the barriers that keep people with disabilities from pursuing and realizing their dreams.

While the majority of schools for the mentally handicapped do not insist on the age limit, many parents are often worried about what would happen to their children as they get older.

At school, children are evaluated regularly. Those whose performance improves are brought to mainstream schools. Teachers say that children are initially slow at school, but that they usually catch up with others.

"Residents bring their children with a lot of expectations. There is an impression that children with mental disabilities are crazy. This is not the case. We trained many of them and sent them regular schools. It should be noted that not all mentally handicapped children can learn to read and write, "said Mbithi, adding that the unit admits learners of all ages, including some in their thirties.

added that "

Kaptisi Special School for mentally challenged deputy director Nicholas Malongo says that learners aged 12 to 30 need special attention because they have different needs.

" Because many of these children can not excel at studying, many parents do not feel the need to invest in them. They think that children will not be hired after school. Academics alone should not be used to seal the future of a child. There are those who can express themselves and those who can not. This means that every child needs special attention, "he said

To solve this problem, school teachers complete each Friday clbad work with home programs, monitor the progress of learners and inform parents of any policy of the Ministry of Education. 39. Education that concerns them. 19659004] "We are also using this day to give benevolent gifts to parents. Some physiotherapy sessions are also planned for that day," said Malongo, Machakos VSO Project Manager Majina Mwasezi. "We urge the parents of those who have been trained in soap making and other skills to give them tools or a small part of their land to work," said Mwasezi

. The National Council for the Disabled said that it has developed a number of programs to improve the lives of its members

. He says that people with disabilities should be given skills that allow them to be economically independent. Deputy Governor Uasin Gishu, Daniel Chemno, said the county government recently hired 34 people with disabilities in several of his departments.

"We want the region to take advantage of its skills and it is now mandatory to employ young people and people from vulnerable groups," said the county deputy chief. We have noticed that these people have valuable skills but that they are often overlooked.

Countries and organizations make commitments at the forum

The Global Disability Summit was held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on 24 July. It was hosted by the British Government, the International Disability Alliance and the Government of Kenya

The summit celebrated the achievements and rights of people with disabilities and emphasized the role that innovation and technology can play to improve the lives of these people.

Kenya has ratified important instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

This Convention sets out the measures that the Government should take to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy the same rights as all others.

A report entitled Bridging the Gap – A Review of Disability and Development in Four African Countries, released earlier this year, shows that there is a gap in disability and development even in countries where global policies are in place.

In addition, research has indicated that adults and children with disabilities are at risk of being left behind in education, employment, health care and social protection in relation to rest of society

About 301 organizations and governments signed the Charter of Change – a plan of action to implement the UN International Convention on Disability.

Among the most important promises of transformative laws to protect the rights of the disabled as well as insurance to help those affected by humanitarian crises.

Commitments have also been made to help people with disabilities access important technologies and work with the private sector around the world to reduce their prices. 19659055] Globally, one in seven lives with some form of disability, with the majority of low- and middle-income people living in poverty.

In these contexts, disability is a cause and a consequence of poverty because people with disabilities often face significant barriers that prevent them from participating fully in society, including access to health services and the provision of services. Education and employment. The United States Agency for International Development, the World Health Organization and Unicef ​​have joined the Global Partnership for Technology Assistance with the United Kingdom

The Program aims to transform access to life-changing devices and their accessibility. and basic technology, such as wheelchairs and glbades. Unicef ​​is committed to helping 30 million disabled children to acquire quality education by 2030 through programs in more than 140 countries.

Eighteen governments committed to improving the way children with disabilities learn and invest in teacher education. Nine African governments are also committed to creating safety nets to ensure that people with disabilities are not forgotten in their societies.

In Kenya, efforts are being made to educate disabled children in special schools. Education officials say letting children learn in mainstream schools fosters integration and eliminates stigma and discrimination.

Most special schools do not set an age limit for their learners. So it is not strange to find young children and learners in their twenties or thirties in the same clbad or school. Schools usually complete clbadroom work with training and home programs. Special school teachers need more training to look after children. Many universities and colleges offering education have such courses.