Improved Accept and Understanding of Children With Disabilities in Somaliland

[Jacaylbaro]

Children in Somaliland with handicaps' are a very marginalised and stigmatised group in the society because of poverty, ignorance and cultural factors.

 

The projects objective is to create greater understanding and improve the education-possibilities for these children through involvement, information, advocacy activities and capacity-building. Furthermore the project seeks to strengthen Somali Association for Special Education's (SASE) popular foundation and capacity, as well as to establish and support 2 regional branches of the organisation.

 

Through this SASE will improve their possibilities to perform involving and advocate work and herby increase information and awareness on children's rights and prospects at a local as well as a national level. Furthermore to teach, support and create networks for families in Somaliland with handicapped children.

 

By developing Hargeisa School for Special Needs to a national resource centre, SASE will be able to support the children in the area and give them the possibility to receive an education.

 

A new project stage has recently been approved and has received 1,448,000 DDK from Danidas Mini Projects Fund.

 

 

web page

[SCORPION_SISTA]

Oh this a great step, I would definitely check the web page afterward, I am current at work...R you working for an aid organization? if yes which one?...bee bye

 

You know speaking about children with disabilities, are the number of Somali children being diagnosed with Autism increasing?

[Jacaylbaro]

Yes i'm working for one ,,,, i'll tell you later ,

[SCORPION_SISTA]

Cool looking forward to it

[Jacaylbaro]

Check your PM ,,,

[Malika]

Originally posted by SCORPION_SISTA:

You know speaking about children with disabilities, are the number of Somali children being diagnosed with Autism increasing?

^Yes,among many other learning disabilities.The hardest task in explaining the process that will require to assess the individual child and the kind of support that child will need to an adamant parent.Due to lack of understanding and accepting many that had moved from other European countries tend to hide the facts that their children had been attending special schools.Which leads to teachers and schools that arent speciallist,to have to cope with a pupil that has significant needs instead of that child going to a school that could have catered for his/her needs.

 

The stigma attached with having a disability need to be addressed in our community in and out of Somalia

[Jacaylbaro]

But the question here is if building such schools are really a good idea.

 

Establishing special needs schools can contribute to the already existing stigma where they will be seen out of the community. Making the existing schools accessible and promoting the Inclusive Education can be a good alternative where the students can sit side by side so as to reduce the stigma and discrimination.

[SCORPION_SISTA]

I have recently noticed two people who I know have children with Autism and both of those children are male, and it just made me thing about it...So I wanted to know if that was just me or whether this was an issue in Somali Communities around the world...It is sad to see parents behaving in such manner and in the long run the child is not helped...I am definitely looking to educate myself on this topic, and want to get involved in training for how to deal with autism children, so I wanted to know.

 

There is a co-worker of mine, who is from ukraine, he talked about how they have special schools for children with special needs and they don't allow integration...So when he substitudes in american schools, he would be like they shouldn't be here...To me it isn't about the school sepration, it is about providing teachers with the qualification to teach both types of student...And there are some students with special needs who need to be taught seprartely than the rest of the group, because they can be disruptive to other students learning...If we just get passed the stigma, and just see those children for how capable and wonderful they are, but just that their minds and bodies work differently it would be a wonderful world.

 

bee bye

[Lois Lane]

Jacaylbaro,

 

This is truly a great news. I remember some time ago when I went back home, I was really shocked to see alot of mentally ill Somalis being locked away in what looked like a prison. That sight will never leave me. I had never heard prior to that the mistreatment that mentally ill people go throught in our country let alone seen it with my own eyes.

 

Such projects are seriously needed in our country.

 

thanks for the post Jacaylbaro.

[Geel_jire]

I remember seeing a school for Deaf kids in hargeisa and 1 in borame a few years ago... i was really impressed .....people do not often talk about positive improvements back home ... JB keep the good news coming !

[Jacaylbaro]

Thank you all ,,,

 

Yes the two deaf schools in Hargeisa and Borama are still operational and they provide good assistance to the deaf people.

 

The Hargeisa Deaf School was provided a land by the governemnt and they're looking for funds so that they can build a school. They one they use now is a rented one. My organization supports the school and just last week we were discussion to have a sign language lessons to our staff so that we can communicate with the deaf people.

 

The great project they implemented was to train the parents on the sign language so that it will be easy for them to communicate with their children. That is what i founda really great idea.

 

I'm more interested into the integrated schools rather than special needs ones and i can't see how they can those special schools eliminate the stigma and discrimination. We're working on a Inclusive Education right now and if all goes well we will implement the project. It seems the Ministry of Education doesn't understand much abuout the issue since it is new to the country.

[Jacaylbaro]

hadhwanaag 2008-04-15 (Hadhwanaagnews) Mississauga record breaker Suresh Joachim will attempt to smash a couple of records on the same day later this month to help raise funds for special needs children.

 

On Friday, at the J & J Swagat Banquet & Convention Centre in Markham, Joachim will try to break the record for furthest distance rowed in an hour on a Concept II rowing machine. He'll also try and set the record for most star jumps, essentially jumping-jacks, in a minute.

 

Funds raised from the event will go to Project Hope for Special Needs Children International to build an elementary school in Hargeisa, Somalililand. The project, modelled after the Toronto District School Board's Sunny View Public School, will function as a special education facility for students with physical, mental and health needs.

The current record for most star jumps in a minute is 58, held by Britain's James Abram.

The event runs from 7:45 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, visit www.sureshjoachim.org.

onlinenews@mississauga.net

[winnie]

i think integrating them is a good idea.

i took a class on teaching kids with learning disabilities, and the stigma attached is a huge hindrance for learning, especially those who have invisible handicaps.

in our communities weakness isnt liked, especially in school. its an area that parents love to boast about, and some even compete with neighbours about who's kid got what grade.

if children with handicaps, either visible or invisible, were integrated in the classroom with other students, parents, and teachers alike would be more aware of the wide range of learning disabilities, and be more willing to see these people integrated in broader society, instead of having them locked away or hidden.

on the other hand, we cant ignore that some of these students may need increased specialized aide, and their success in academics may necessitate more one on one time with a teacher or specialized aide. the standardized classroom with 30 students and 1 teacher, may have to be adjusted for some cases.

[Blessed]

Great stuff, it’s about time.

 

Integration is great in theory but not always practical or helpful for all involved. Children with moderate special needs and disabilities can handle a mainstream school but those with more profound disabilities will get nothing out of being in a classroom and having them there will cause chaos and distraction of teachers and other students. It also requires a lot of funding which Somaliland just doesn’t have.

 

I'm more into the SEN units within a mainstream school, cheaper and you shoot two birds with one.

 

p.s I envy you JB, I've always wanted to work in Education Dev. in Somaliland. Maybe, one day you hook the sistah up, ay?