More than 10,000 children with various disabilities in Mbeya have been reached and identified through the "child-to-child" approach, which incorporates an inclusive education system.
Hildergade Merhab, Project Manager at the non-governmental organization Child Support Tanzania (CST), revealed this during the International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrations held in Mbeya. The event, coordinated by CST, involved various stakeholders, including the Federation of People with Disabilities.
Hildergade noted that as CST celebrates 16 years since its establishment, it has successfully reached over 10,000 children with both visible and invisible disabilities. The "child-to-child" approach empowers children to identify peers with special needs.
“In many communities in Mbeya, some parents tend to hide children with special needs, denying them their fundamental right to education. To address this, we rely on other children to provide information about those who are kept out of sight,” she said.
“Through this method and with the collaboration of teachers, we’ve identified over 1,000 children who were out of school and another 1,000 within schools who were found to have undetected special needs. Over the past 16 years, we have been able to identify and support more than 10,000 children,” she added.
CST conducts assessments and provides training for children with both visible and invisible disabilities to support their development and inclusion.
Noela Msuya, CST’s Director, emphasized the need for society to include persons with disabilities in daily activities and provide employment opportunities to showcase their abilities and talents.
She highlighted that the International Day of Persons with Disabilities serves as an opportunity to educate the public about the rights and essential needs of persons with disabilities.
On his part, Mbeya District Administrative Secretary, Mohamed Fakili, reiterated that the Sixth Phase Government will continue to provide equal opportunities to all citizens, including persons with disabilities.