Disabled learners ‘neglected’ in Kavango

Mushongo Makanga (13) from Rundjarara village in the Kavango East Region was all smiles last week when he received a wheelchair donated by the Republican Party (RP).For the past 13 years, Makanga had to rely on his mother Maria and his siblings to move around. He also needs assistance to use the bathroom.He was born with a disability which affected his legs and part of his arms.While other children spend their days running around the homestead and playing, all Makanga can do is watch them as he cannot join on the fun.He is also unable to fully engage with others because he has never attended school.Makanga’s situation is similar to that of many children in Kavango East and Kavango West as the regions do not have special schools that cater to children with disabilities.Take care of themAt the donation event last Friday, RP parliamentarian Mathias Mbundu said he learnt about Makanga’s situation from social media. He then engaged fellow party members, which resulted in the donation of a wheelchair and a food parcel to the tune of N$6 000.“When we learnt about his situation, we did not hesitate to buy the chair and food to assist him and his family.”On the sidelines, Mbundu added that people with disabilities need to be taken care of.He further highlighted the importance of establishing a special school in the Kavango regions.“We need a special school to help our children who are born with disabilities. They too need to be educated and taken care of,” he said.Special attentionKavango East youth forum chairperson Moses Shikerete echoed Mbundu’s sentiments and called upon government to set up a special school in either of the Kavango regions.This will assist in addressing the issue of physically disabled children who are neglected at home, he said.“These people need special attention and in the mainstream schools, it will be very challenging to focus on everyone,” he said.“But when you have a school specifically dedicated to the disabled children, it becomes easier for the learners to master basic competencies at a speed at which they are able to work.”Conducive environmentHowever, according to Kavango East governor Bonifatius Wakudumo, a study must be conducted before this decision can be made.He argued that every Namibian child can be taught at mainstream schools, but the issue of the environment being conducive will be a factor.“Before we come to the importance of a special school, every Namibian child has the right to education. Now, when we say that, it means the environment must be conducive,” he said.“The conducive environment must not only be for the able-bodied person but the disabled one as well. The current formal education system, does it cater for the disabled children? That’s the first aspect.“Nothing discriminates against a disabled child going a school, but the challenge is there as to how do you get the child to the school and back home; how to get into the classroom... So, maybe what we need is to do a study to determine the various factors and see if it is sustainable. “If it’s sustainable, then we can go ahead and set up [a special school].”kenya@namibiansun.com

Disabled learners ‘neglected’ in Kavango

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-11

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Disabled learners ‘neglected’ in Kavango

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-11

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