Hentet fra News Ghana| Marc 18th 2019
A primary school has been established in Nimule, South Sudan for the first of its kind, to support children with special needs.
The Cede Primary school houses 231 children. Some are HIV positive or orphaned while others suffer from physical disabilities.
The facility is to offer them a bright future amid parties’ commitment to implement the revitalized peace agreement.
“We established a school to educate children orphans and those suffering from HIV Aids and physical disabilities,” Paskalina Idreangwa, the school founder told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Indreangwa noted that the school was started with only 60 children, but now the number increased due to the conflict.
She said that in the company of her peers, they started mobilizing orphans, children living with disabilities, HIV and the street children.
According to Indreangwa, the 2013 crisis in the country halted the support they get from a charity, but her determined team never lost hope. Instead, they collaborated with a local advocacy agency to solicit support from the well-wishes to acquire a learning space for the children.
She added that the inclusion of children with disabilities in the mainstream education system is based on a fundamental right since every child matters, and should not be denied their right to education nor discriminated on any basis, regardless of gender, race, or health condition.
“My friends helped us lobby for support from the local, state authorities, and international charity to help build a school for the children,” she added.
Patrick Peter, the school’s head teacher, said that since establishment, the school has strongly given children living with HIV and those with special needs support and good care and is currently the only school for the children with special needs in the entire war-torn country.
The school that is multi-ethnic with over 16 different tribes embodied to reflect peaceful coexistence among the host community of Madi who are the native.
“Our vision is to nurture future South Sudanese young leaders that will play a huge role in helping keep peace, stability, eradicating poverty that is blamed on the war and also help reduce cases of HIV Aids in the region,” said Peter.
He revealed that the school relies on fundraising and support from a British female humanitarian worker who came to South Sudan’s border town of Nimule prior to the country’s conflict in 2013.
According to Indreangwa, every person has inherent potential, noting that they help children’s families eradicate illiteracy and poverty through equipping children with life skills they needed for future self-reliance. Enditem