Although she cannot make use of her crippled feet, 12-year-old Adiyani Baseka still literally crawls to and from Mutumba Primary School daily to attend lessons.

Due to the rough nature of the terrain she moves on, her feet and hands have scaly sores and blisters that often inconvenience her movement.

According to Baseka, every time it rains, the roadways become muddy and she has to soil her clothes on her way to and from school.

Hillary Bwire, a community natural leader in Mutumba central village, Namayingo district, narrates that Baseka is a regular pupil at school and only keeps away when she falls sick.

Derrick Kyambadde, a teacher at Mutumba PS explains that Baseka is an average pupil proving that disability isn’t an inability at all.

“She comes to school crawling and can then get onto a bench and sit properly during lessons. The good thing her home is not very far away from the school compound,” he says.

He observes that over time, other pupils came to appreciate Baseka’s condition and they freely play with her making her feel comfortable and develop a sense of belonging.

“It is common to find other pupils helping her carry her school books. This simplifies her movements,” he says.

Kyambadde notes that the school has an old pit latrine that had been constructed with a stance specifically for ersons with Disabilities (PWDs).

“However, some buildings lacked ramps or special access slopes meant for use by PWDs. This somehow inconvenienced Baseka until the government of Iceland came in to assist recently,” he testifies.

Baseka is not alone, as local government education data shows that the number of learners with disabilities attending school has risen in recent years.

An estimated 10% of the 50, 611 pupils as well as 3, 971 students are in the special needs category which is an improvement from barely 5% almost five years ago.

Iceland input

Kyambadde reveals that the government of Iceland has provided scholastic materials for Baseka and other special needs learners to help them attend school with ease.

“They also constructed a modern pit latrine with a PWD exclusive section that makes life easier for PWDs. They are fitted with guard rails, ramp and other facilities to help her use with comfort,” he says.

Baseka affirms that the new pit latrine at her school is ready for use although the guard rails had been positioned slightly much higher than her height.

Grace Asinde, her mother, notes that the government of Iceland also pays school dues for Baseka who is the fifth born in a family of eight.

Beneficiary testifies

Baseka reveals that she first attended Namiguwa Junior Education Centre before transferring to Mutumba Primary School.

“My first two years of primary school were at Namiguwa, then I joined Mutumba PS in Primary three. It is at Mutumba that I got my first experience of a public school environment,” she notes.

Asinde discloses that they shifted from Bugiri district in February last year enabling Baseka to join Mutumba PS last year.

“Even at Namiguwa, she wasn’t paying fees as the proprietors offered her a scholarship. The status quo has been maintained courtesy of the government of Iceland at Mutumba PS,” she says.

Baseka says continuous movements irritate both her hands and feet since they are the ones used in crawling.

“The palms and feet itch due to the contact with sharp stones. When it rains, the mud and run-off become unbearable,” she says.

Asinde reveals that Baseka at times develops complications that make her skin appear as if it is getting rotten.

“This girl was born like any other normal child but started getting sick at six years. Her skin started cracking and we took her to Buluba hospital in Mayuge district but we were told it isn’t leprosy,” she says.

She says the recurrent health condition which still puzzles local medics has taken a toll on her dad's (Kuzaifa Maka) business undertaking at Kitodha village.

Maka observes that Baseka experiences a condition whereby the entire body appears to be so hot with the skin looking scalded.

“We were advised to seek diagnosis and subsequent treatment from abroad but do not have the funds. So she has to bear with her condition for now,” Maka says.

Asinde also laments that she has not yet got enough funds to buy a school uniform for her daughter who crawls to school wearing non-uniform.

Government goal

The persons with disabilities act, 2020 (Act 3 of 2020) stipulates that the government and all persons shall respect, uphold and promote the fundamental and other human rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities.

It is estimated that there are about 5 million disabled people countrywide and these face extreme conditions of poverty, limited opportunities for accessing education, health as well as suitable housing and employment.

The Universal Primary Education Act makes it financially possible for families to send their disabled children to school.

Leaders laud

Ronald Sanya, the Namayingo district chairman appreciates the intervention by the Iceland government saying it has turned round fortunes of PWDs in the district.

“We still have challenges of lack of special needs centres like elsewhere. Even trained staff to specifically handle such learners is not readily available,” Sanya says.

He hails the Iceland government for being good development partners by giving much-needed facelift to Namayingo schools.