World Vision Gives Children with Disability Inclusive Education

Have you ever been ignored by the person you share your life with and love? Have you ever tried to confide in someone you genuinely trusted but he or she does not want to hear you out? Have you ever wished to see a happy face but saw one that frowns instead? The road to a hopeless air of neglect, betrayal, and isolation is rough and bitter. This was exactly what happened to Muna Kibida, an 18-year-old girl, who was born with a hearing impairment. 

Muna endured loneliness, depression, and isolation ever since she started to communicate. She says, "When I wanted to play with my siblings and children of my age, they turned their back on me. I wanted my family to talk to me but they marginalised me. I yearned for hugs from my parents but they did not understand my emotions. Out of desperation, I felt low and isolated myself. I became aggressive as a result and started beating children that seemed against my will."

Muna thought she was old enough to go to school and begged her parents to enrol her in the same school her siblings go to. However, her mother explained to her that she was not a fitting child. Muna could not understand the reason but did not want to press on. "The response was ambiguous but I was afraid to ask the reason. As time passes, she informed me that there was no school for children with hearing loss. I was overly concerned about and unsure of what to do,’’ she says. Feeling the urge, Muna’s mother, Abeba Bekele, went to a local school and urged the principal to allow her daughter to be enrolled. Good for the mum, the principal accepted her appeal and Muna started to attend class.

No sooner had Muna started school than she quit after kids made fun of her. She became more combative as her irritation level increased." I got violent and started fighting with them. They hurled stones at me. Later, I stopped going to school because I was sick of the adverse reactions. I had a terrible time," she sorrowfully remembers the nerve-racking ordeal. Abeba Bekele, Muna’s mother, was terribly worried about her daughter’s isolation and disappointment. "I was concerned about my daughter’s future," the mother says. “I was always praying to God and asking him for healing or a way out of the challenge. 

In 2011, World Vision started to support children with disabilities in Tulo District and provided awareness-building training to parents and the community. A staff took them to Addis Ababa, the capital city, to show them how children with disabilities attend the same school as children with abilities. Following the experience-sharing visit, the organisation constructed two blocks (of eight classrooms) for children with disabilities and provided classroom furniture and training to schoolteachers and the community.

Muna a would-be student reached the new school for enrolment. She says, "I was elated after I heard the news. It was the first time I felt sincerely happy and could not sleep that night. I ran to my neighbour who sympathised with me and shared the good news with her. It was as if I were reborn. My mother could not believe what she heard.’’

After the news heralded the inclusive education that World Vision introduced in the locality, Abeba ululates and says, ‘‘It was a confirmation that God heard and answered my earnest prayers. Words fail me to thank enough the generous sponsors who supported us.’’ 

Now that Muna’s demand has been satisfied, she has a dream to materialise. She says, "The darkest phase of my life was gone. World Vision’s intervention has driven out all the senses of desperation and lit up my life. My dream is to become a lawyer to be able to consider the laws and judicial procedures for children who might face the same problem I faced. I will fight for children with hearing loss to the very end."

Mihiret was the first female teacher who participated in training on inclusive education. She says, "As a person with a disability myself, I feel, share, and sense emotions for fellow children. Now, thanks to World Vision's generous sponsors and donors, they liberated us all from all forms of exclusions. Currently, more than 300 children with disabilities are attending school in Tullo District. Muna, considered by her school a community hero, has long miles to go to fulfil her dream. ‘‘I know that all good things come with a price and am determined to attain it. World Vision’s life-changing support has inspired me a lot,’’ she concludes with her arresting smile.

By Aklilu Kassaye, Field Communication Manager, World Vision Ethiopia