How The Project Was Born
As a result of our early work with Crossroads School, there was a growing awareness within the Global Challenge team that child disability and special education were areas of much need in Uganda.
These difficulties are regarded with superstition and fear in many parts of Africa, and Uganda is no exception. Common medical conditions such as epilepsy can cause individuals to be shunned and rejected by their community. Consequently, many parents hide children with difficulties away and the community is ill equipped to help. There was a need, through education programmes, to change this perception.
In 2007 the new project was launched. A team from the UK visited Soroti including; a speech and language therapist, an occupational therapist, a teacher of the hearing impaired and special needs teachers. They worked alongside local representatives to set up a range of initiatives.
Research showed that in the more remote areas, families do not have the means to travel into the town. It is impossible for disabled children to be carried any distance. In most cases they have never been seen by a doctor or received any medical intervention or advice. This group of children and young people have no possibility of attending school.
By creating an outreach service, the project was born.