INCLUSIVE DREAMS

Menstruation is one of the challenges that keep adolescent girls out of school. In most developing countries, many drop out of school, some miss school, while in some communities, the onset of menstruation signifies marriage.  While menstruation is a natural part of growing up for girls, the first menstrual period is a surprise for many. The Girls at Children’s corner junior school, Makerere Kivulu slum Community are not any different, they too lacked accurate information and knowledge about menstruation. However, through the community Outreach Campaigns in collaboration with AFRIPADS, RAISING TEENAGERS, JOYFORCHILDREN UGANDA AND SIMPLE STEPS FOUNDATION, the girls are being educated about their menstruation for them to learn how to manage their periods and these trainings are done inclusively with adolescents with disabilities. The menstrual hygiene management activities are among the interventions that should be done and supported by all stake holders, NGO`s and Government ac...

Disability and poverty are closely linked. An estimated 1 billion people (15% of the world’s population) live with disabilities and 80 per cent of them live in developing countries. Ironically, people with disabilities are often left out of Economic development programs, while they belong to the poorest of the poor.  But can the vicious cycle of poverty and disability be broken?   It's no secret that employees with disabilities already struggle to get the support they need. Despite employment law guidelines, the Equality Act and Human Rights charters, many employers still struggle to see that the problem is not the person's disability, but a mismatch between their abilities and their working environment.  This concept of a Social Model of Disability remains a point of interest but not of action and for the wider working world.  And in a predominantly non-disabled workplace culture,  disabled people`s needs continue to fly under the radar of many em...

  Why Every one Needs a Mentor In life? Growing up my mother used to work in a post primary school she could give talks to students she was teaching. I would watch her prepare and sometimes heard her rehearse. She knew a lot, but her delivery was dry. Her topics were very technical, and she covered them expertly, but she was also a nervous speaker. I absorbed that anxiety from her at an early age and grew along with it. Somewhere along the path to adulthood after my bachelors studies, I thought about being a Disability activist but I was worried about not being a good public speaker. And I held firmly to it, even in the face of evidence to the contrary. Well, I decided that 2 decades was long enough to hold firm. So I got a mentor. I had some things I wanted to say, and I wanted to say them without the distraction of an old story in my head that isn’t serving me anymore. My mentor analyzed my voice for pitch and range. Then He recorded a video of me making impromp...

This month Lets Celebrate the Magical healing power of Rehabilitation Services and Professionals who help patients and Children with Disabilities to set and achieve their goals every day. Therapeutic Rehabilitation Provides Life changing treatment for millions of Individuals, by helping to minimize Physical and Cognitive disabilities, overcome Limb stiffness and illnesses. Ever since The Covid19 Cacophony settled into Account many initiatives like Homeschooling to foster learning and wellness of children to enjoy life at home have been put in place both online and homework classes are progressing swiftly.  However  Children Living with Disabilities especially those in the slums and rural hard to reach areas have been left out in terms of cost and access to basic rehabilitation services like Physiotherapy and occupational Therapy treatment, since their parents are not empowered to do it by themselves. Following a couple of phone calls from many caretakers of Chil...

The first challenge that comes with addressing accessibility concerns defining terms.   Broadly, “accessibility” refers to allowing individuals with disabilities to use a system as easily as someone without disabilities. Estimates put the number of students in higher education with disabilities at around 10 percent -- though that number is complicated by the fact that many students with disabilities don’t feel empowered to share those details. Looking at the current prevailing crisis of Covid19, if you don't live in a major urban area, you might have a much less consistent experience when it comes to getting fast broadband. For many, internet connections range from low speed to no connection at all. I got to hear first-hand how this is directly impacting some of our Children in the rural areas as they are adjusting to remote schooling. This disparity of access truly impacts people’s lives, as many children are deprived of one of their human rights: education. Int...

why social workers shouldn't  be left out in the fight of the Novel corona Virus Pandemic The world is in stress and anxiety-producing times. As the media is always discussing corona virus  everywhere, reports are signaling that the world is changing and everyone is under fear in this Lock down .  The long isolation period has been linked to a number of mental issues such as stress, despair, increased anxiety, and hopelessness due to decreased job security. As of now, Uganda has over 160 confirmed cases of Covid19; I anticipate that by the time this is published, that number will have increased exponentially.  We are in the midst of a public health pandemic and social workers must be a part of the response team Government policy makers should not only look at medical actioners  as the only essential workers in fighting Covid19, But We must acknowledge the mental disparate impact of covidid19 on those who are already living on hand to mouth or near ...

Do Children with Disability Matter During this Covid19 Pandemic? This question hit me hard as asked by one of the parents having a visually   Impaired child in the slum areas of Kampala; she narrated  to me how her son finds it hard navigating a world which society  created for those that do not have a disability. Before we get answers to this question, we need to look at barriers hindering participation of persons with disabilities in accessing Education materials   Distributed by the government During this COVID 19 Global pandemic The most recent 2014 population census indicates that 12.4 % of the Ugandan population lives with a disability. Living with a disability categorizes this group as part of the most vulnerable people. However, persons with disabilities tend to be forgotten not only during planning but also a midst  a crisis like the COVID-19 that has hit  the continent. Better strategies need to be put in place to ensur e  th...