Empower 35 students with disability in Tanzania

EMPOWER 30 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY IN TANZANIA, REPORT NUMBER 10: MAIN ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF STEP BY STEP LEARNING CENTRE, SSLC JANUARY - MAY 2023.

  INTRODUCTION: This report will summarise the main activities and achievements from January - May 2023 vis a vis our vision, mission, goals and activities.

MISSION STATEMENT

SSLC’s mission is to promote the physical, intellectual, psychological and social development of each child through a holistic educational provision in an inclusive, empathetic, respectful, positive and stimulating environment so that special needs students and their families feel safe, accepted and loved. Staff use child-centered training and learning methods to encourage all children, including those having severe disabilities, to reach their maximum potential.

 VISION STATEMENT

SSLC aims to grow its capacity to provide a safe and stimulating learning and working environment for mentally and severely physically challenged students for as long as they need such support to progressively improve and learn appropriate Life and Job skills in order to achieve a degree of independence and dignity.

 MAIN GOALS

1. Twenty young students (age 6 to 17) with mental and physical challenges will access appropriate education, life skills training and appropriate therapy.
2. Ten young adults (over 18) with mental and physical challenges will get training in Job skills and thereafter employment, income, self-esteem, confidence and emotional empowerment.
3. Six Income Generating Projects (IGPs) will receive enough input to become viable and self-sustainable.
4. Fourteen Staff will receive support to provide compassionate, high quality holistic teaching, training and therapy to SSLC students.

 MAIN ACTIVITIES

1. Drawing an Individual Learning Program (ILP) for each student with input from his/her parents or guardians, then setting goals for each student
2. Conducting one on one, Hand over hand, Experiential - hands on teaching and training the young students in basic functional literacy and life skills
3. Providing professional therapies (Physiotherapy, Reflexology, Occupational Therapy and Speech Training plus Music, Dance, Art and Crafts.
4. Training and mentoring young adults on the job in the Income Generating Projects (IGPs): jewelry making from beads; gardening and Livestock keeping of cows, sheep, chicken, fish and bees.
5. Expanding the IGPs and professionalizing the job skills to make the projects financially viable and sustainable.
6. Providing administrative and support services to the program.
7. Collaborating with parents, community leaders and other similar programs in order to advocate for the rights of the disabled and sell the SSLC model.
8. Participating in advocacy activities like International  Autism, Down Syndrome. Cerebral Palsy and Disability days.
9. Raising funds from various sources to keep SSLC running

STAKEHOLDERS: This year the number of participants and beneficiaries has gone up with the addition of new local partners.  We have a total of 272 project participants and beneficiaries (145 females and 127 males). These are students, staff, parents, guardians, caregivers, local partner organizations and a pilot music project team.

 JUNIOR CORE PROGRAM (AGES 3 TO 17)

The Junior Program is full with 20 students, three are new students enrolled in 2023. They have varying degrees of physical and mental challenges: 4 with autism, 9 cerebral palsy, 3 Downs syndrome, 2 Hydrocephalus, 1 epileptic and 1 slow learner. Over 80% of the students were able to attend school 80% and above of semester one. 80% and above of the students met the goals set in their Individual Learning Programs (ILPs) for semester one. 

 HOME BASED PROGRAM (HBP)

The HBP served 4 students who could not attend school due to distance, difficult family circumstances and severe physical challenges. One of them was replaced by a new student because his mum organised another program for him. Our four teachers followed them home on Fridays and solely focussed on each one of them, giving physiotherpy, reading stories, playing cartoons, music and writing and arithmetic for thosewho are able. When we will have a physiotherapy team offering intensive specialist services and training hopefully in August, they will be invited to attend together with their parents, guardians or caregivers.

One big challenge in this programe is the cost of travelling which is  an additional buden on SSLC. All the four caregivers (one single, another a grandmother) can not afford to contribute to transport costs. Yet the benefits are enormous to these otherwise excluded students.

 ADULT PROGRAM (AGES 18 AND ABOVE)

At the the begining of 2023, SSLC’s Adult Program had 9 adult students most of them graduates from the Junior Program: 2 are living with autism, 2 cerebral palsy, 2 Down’s syndrome, 1 slow learner, 1 albinism and 1 Pfeiffer’s type I syndrome. There is a vacancy for one young adult male student. They learnt job/employment skills on the job in our Income Generating Projects (IGPs). These activities have been our most effective advocacy demonstrating that disability is not inability. They also enhanced the students’ independence and value to their families thus reducing the stigmatization and rejection that most of them experience. Each of these nine vulnerable young adults have now mastered one project which they enjoy and is potentially a business we will set them up with when they are ready to settle back in their communities. Five of them are ready to be employed by SSLC as assistants to the teachers and IGPs pending funding for their salaries. 

  ADVOCACY

SSLC was an active participant in the marches and celebrations in Arusha town on World Autism Day on 2nd April and  Downs’ Syndrome day on 21st March. SSLC’s work has become a model of care and provision for this population. We received enquiries from parents from Uganda, professionals from Uganda and Ruanda and a local special school all interested in our model, mentoring and training. 

 MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2023

• Written 2 big proposals to: World Forgotten Children Foundation (WFCF) and Australian Volunteers program Impact Fund.
• Signed a MOU with EduAfrica to partner with them to host their clients from Universities and colleges abroad in educational activities and projects.
• Organized joint activities and projects with student physiotherapy assistants, nurses, social workers and public health workers from Heartland, Belmont and Boston Universities organized by EduAfrica.
• Improved our fundraising ability on GlobalGiving platform by attending all information and training sessions for the little by little campaign and the coming July Bonus Day.
• Hosted a memorable visit with a positive appraisal from two officials from Accessible Hope International (AHI)
• Had another female calf from our dairy cow, and good harvests of fruits and vegetables from our Income Generating Projects (IGPs)
• Partnered with Makumira University Cultural Arts Centre on a pilot music project to bring music therapy and dance to students with disabilities.
• Participated in the Annual Disability Conference organized by Association of African Disability and Self Advocacy (AADISAO)
• Started Art lessons twice a week for all our students
•  Started developing a sports ground by installing football and netball posts
• Finally connected to the grid, fixed a ceiling board and spruced 2 rooms with bright happy colors 

 SUSTAINABILITY

SSLC is supported by donations, grants, student Sponsors and Volunteers.  The Income Generating Projects brought in some income. Competition for grants from big donors are getting more stiff. We have, therefore, made a strategy to step up our fundraising on GlobalGiving, make new partners and get new studentsponsors this year. Lack of substantial funding for operations and infrastructure development remains the biggest threat to SSLC.

Submitted by Margaret Kenyi

Founder and Executive Director

Step by Step Learning Centre