Restore Lives of 100 Children with Disabilities.

Children with disabilities are vital and valuable part of the society yet most marginalized and vulnerable group of persons in Uganda. They are abused, exploited and excluded by societies they live in denying them of their inalienable and recognized rights.

Disability refers to a person who has a physical or mental condition that limits their movements and senses. Most of these are have vision impairment, mental health conditions, intellectual disability, brain damage, autism and physical disability which are also common in children.

Due to their physical, intellectual, emotional and dependence on others for basic needs children with disabilities become vulnerable to abuse and victimization most of which are disabled girls who report slightly more physical and considerably more sexual violence which puts them at a high risk of contracting diseases like HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies at an early age.

Statistics by Uganda Population and housing census also show that approximately 2.5 million are living with some form of disability in Uganda, with only about 9% of boys and girls of school going age with disabilities are attending primary school.

Parents or guardians of the children with disabilities are not involved in formation, dissemination and implementation of the laws and policies that relates to them which  has led to ignorance and ineffective implementation of the existing laws and policies concerning children with disabilities

Due to inadequate system of social protection and access to support there is stigma and discrimination among children with disabilities which has resulted into disabled children not attending school and having lower levels of educational attainment than their peers and yet all children in Uganda have a right to education and basic needs.

Joy for children Uganda believes that regardless of ability, all children have the right to reach their full potential therefore we  have  provided assertive devices like wheel chairs, standing frames, and orthopedic shoes to children with disabilities and also give them an opportunity to participate in public life

Joy for Children:  Restore lives of 100 children with disabilities project helps motivate children to learn new skills that they are capable of learning which will later benefit them

By supporting the project you will help Joy for Children Uganda in the implementation f inclusive programs and services that promote the participation of children with disabilities in societies.

As a young person who is deaf, 15-year-old Sharon (not real name) has experienced firsthand the challenges children with disabilities face in accessing quality education.

“In my community, children with disabilities are the most disadvantaged and they don’t have access to appropriate schools and education centers,” She explains. “In Bunyangabu there is only one school for deaf, the school is far from the community and children need to take unsafe roads to reach, which results in dropping out of school.”

Sharon experienced this type of exclusion in her rural school. “In my community, we as deaf people study in separate schools that are not part of the regular education system, which contributes to more isolation from the community,” she shares. “Also, most of the teachers aren’t qualified enough to support us and advocate for our rights to inclusion.” Sharon explains that as a deaf student, one of the main challenges she faces is the lack of teachers and translators who understand sign language.

Sharon’s story is not an isolated case; thousands of children with special needs in Uganda still face unique challenges while at school. Inaccessible environments, lack of appropriate learning materials, shortage of qualified teachers and discrimination from peers are some of the barriers preventing children with disabilities from completing their education. In Uganda,the enrolment rate in pre-primary, primary and secondary school is very low. About 9% of CWDs attend school and only 6% complete primary school and continue with secondary school. (UNICEF)

UBOS 2020 survey reveals that disability is one of the major factors for children not attending school and 30% of children aged 7 gave disability as a reason for not going to school. With $ 40 you can support a child with special needs with hearing amplifiers.

Kindly donate to support children stay in school and complete their education.