By: Abedican Godwin
 
Uganda National Association of the Blind has donated brail materials inform of text books to support learners with visual impairment in Ediofe girls’ primary school and Mvara secondary school in arua city. The two schools are some of the few schools in West Nile region which have units of the blind. Apart from the text books, the learners with visual impairment at Ediofe Girls primary school were also given face masks and sanitizers to help prevent them from contracting covid19, while Mvara secondary school benefited from the brail materials only.

While delivering the items to the two schools the Community Development Officer (CDO) in charge of special needs Ayikoru Jeanne- Longo said the books should be put to proper use to benefit the learners given the hardship that is always experienced in having them in place. “You can imagine having a whole text book brailed  in to details so as to have the disadvantaged learners at the same level with others, it is not an easy task and as such, you are called upon to maintain these brail books  well because we don’t know if another one will come” she said. She appealed to the schools to have a good record of the learners so as to establish their challenges in using the materials in order to give them adequate help when needed.

The deputy head teacher of Ediofe girls’ primary school, Mr. Awia Patrick appreciated the support and pledged to ensure the materials are used as intended. “We have had serious problems of these materials and have been teaching inclusively and after that try to brail the notes for the learners, but with this the children will have to read on their own” Awia said.

According to Mayokia Mariam, a P7 pupil with visual impairment in Ediofe Girls primary school, these books have come timely for them as the beneficiaries which will allow them to read on their own and she says one of the major challenges they face is that they do not have enough teachers to help them in learning.
The head teacher Mvara Secondary school, Matua Onyiga appreciated the support saying it is a long awaited support. “Our students have always performed well but they lack learning materials” he said. He also requested that if possible there should be a special library created for the blind that can be of help to the visually impaired do their research.

Mvara secondary school currently has 24 students with visual impairment, while Ediofe girls’ primary school has 11 visually impaired pupils who are expected to benefit from the donation.

COVER PHOTO Head teacher Mvara and T.O.T with students receiving brail materials from Jeane Longo By Abedican Godwin