Rotary reaches out to kids with special needs
Aug 23, 2006
HE fought a ‘silent war.’ As he grew older, Simon Peter Lutaaya realised he could not talk properly, stand or walk, like any other child. <br>His crippled limbs, stiff neck, hunchback and speech difficulty always failed him.
By Carol Natukunda
HE fought a ‘silent war.’ As he grew older, Simon Peter Lutaaya realised he could not talk properly, stand or walk, like any other child.
His crippled limbs, stiff neck, hunchback and speech difficulty always failed him.
And the ‘normal’ children in Mengo, where the family lives, did not seem to make his situation better.
“One day, a girl refused to play with me. I think she saw that I was very different,†Lutaaya says, “...very, very different.â€
Feeling isolated and perhaps afraid, he cried. His mother, whom he refers to as ‘mama’, began visiting special schools she so desperately hated and detested. Hated, because she possibly thought they would not understand her child either. For who cared, anyway?
In 2000, however, the ‘war’ was over. Lutaaya, now 21, joined Kireka Home of Special Needs Education, where he has been studying to date. There, he was not called a ‘patient’. Children are friendly; they understand each other.
He sits devotedly in a wheelchair, waiting for the next lesson. Suddenly, he moves back and forth, to pick a piece of cloth lying on the floor using his feet.
“Pleaseeeeee!†He probably wants to ask something, but the words don’t come out easily. It is only when he agonisingly closes his eyes and slams his foot on the table that he finally manages to mutter out something.
“Please, will you help me cut this piece of cloth to shape?†Lutaaya asks Faith Mirembe, the class teacher. Within minutes, he is sewing away with his feet — at the pace a person with normal limbs would. Margaret Biyinzika, the head teacher, says Rotary Foundation has restored hope for the defenceless children.
“It is expensive looking after so many children of this kind, or even those with worse needs. The contributions we get from parents and the Government are not enough to cater buy sewing machines, computers and water tanks. But Rotarians, in this country have always given a hand. They have helped us restore hope to these innocent sweet children,†she says.
“Some children come when they have been over-protected and over-rejected by their parents. But they must learn stitching, cooking or tailoring. How will they survive tomorrow when their parents have long died?†she asks.
Founded in 1984 by a white lady only identified as Gill and three Ugandans, the school has come a long way in educating children who are mentally retarded, have speech problems and physical disability. Since 1996 when it became a government-aided school, the population has increased from 12 to 69 children with special needs (39 boys and 30 girls).
The school also had its name changed from ‘a home for mentally retarded and handicapped children’ to ‘a home for special needs education’.
“People gave them names, they called them insane children. Is it their fault that they are in the state they are?†Biyinzika asks: “What these children only require is love. Even if they did the opposite of what you asked them to do, you wouldn’t take it in bad faith because you would bear in mind that they are special children.â€
She is grateful to the Rotary Foundation for training teachers in special needs.
And it is these voluntary teachers that have enabled these children believe in themselves.
“Finished making another shirt?†a teacher asks teasingly patting Lutaaya on the back. He grins. “No, I am just starting one,†he laughs.
Founded in 1905, Rotary International comprises business and professional individuals who give voluntary support to the implementation of community projects, including Lutaaya’s school.
Approximately 1.2 million people belong to more than 3,200 clubs in about 200 countries and geographical regions, to encourage high ethical standards in vocations and help build good will and peace. Uganda has 56 clubs.
Rotary clubs throughout the world are grouped and administered through districts, with each district headed by a governor. There are 529 districts in the rotary world.
District 9200, where Uganda belongs, is also made up of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. But Uganda is undoubtedly blessed.
The current Rotary district governor 9200, Francis Tusubira, is the fifth from a country in the 85-year history of District 9200.
As if those are not blessings enough, Chris Mityala, the former charter president of the Rotary Club of Kyambogo, Kampala, has been nominated the district governor 2006/07.
Mityala was a district Officer for many years, a pioneer assistant governor (1999-2000 and 2000-01) and country chair (2003-04 and 2004-05) respectively.
Every year, Rotarians in District 9200 put more than $4m into various projects such as clean water, sanitation, literacy, immunisation, health facilities, micro finance, care for orphans and handicapped children.
It is projected that more than 40% of the contributions come to Uganda and have registered tremendous achievements.
In 2002/03, Kampala North supported the immunisation against Polio, with over 100 children in respective city suburbs benefiting weekly.
Rotary has also gone a long way to recognise personalities including President Yoweri Museveni in appreciation of the contributions towards Rotary’s humanitarian and educational programmes.
The recognition dubbed ‘Paul Harris Fellow’ is given to an individual who contributes $1,000 or more.
“We sometimes forget the spirit of giving in our culture. Disabled children need hope. Children, who are starving, shouldn't be when we can give a hand. It is courtesy,†Tusubira says.
It is for this noble cause that the 2006/07 Rotary International president, William Boyd is in Uganda, to thank Rotarians for addressing the needs of communities.
Boyd’s visit, starting August 22-25, will involve touring several charity projects supported by Rotary Foundation, parliamentarians, Museveni and Kabaka Ronald Mutebi.
Boyd began his term of office last month with an emphasis to affirm belief in the power of Rotary and influence people to come together to help.
Ends
HE fought a ‘silent war.’ As he grew older, Simon Peter Lutaaya realised he could not talk properly, stand or walk, like any other child.
His crippled limbs, stiff neck, hunchback and speech difficulty always failed him.
And the ‘normal’ children in Mengo, where the family lives, did not seem to make his situation better.
“One day, a girl refused to play with me. I think she saw that I was very different,†Lutaaya says, “...very, very different.â€
Feeling isolated and perhaps afraid, he cried. His mother, whom he refers to as ‘mama’, began visiting special schools she so desperately hated and detested. Hated, because she possibly thought they would not understand her child either. For who cared, anyway?
In 2000, however, the ‘war’ was over. Lutaaya, now 21, joined Kireka Home of Special Needs Education, where he has been studying to date. There, he was not called a ‘patient’. Children are friendly; they understand each other.
He sits devotedly in a wheelchair, waiting for the next lesson. Suddenly, he moves back and forth, to pick a piece of cloth lying on the floor using his feet.
“Pleaseeeeee!†He probably wants to ask something, but the words don’t come out easily. It is only when he agonisingly closes his eyes and slams his foot on the table that he finally manages to mutter out something.
“Please, will you help me cut this piece of cloth to shape?†Lutaaya asks Faith Mirembe, the class teacher. Within minutes, he is sewing away with his feet — at the pace a person with normal limbs would. Margaret Biyinzika, the head teacher, says Rotary Foundation has restored hope for the defenceless children.
“It is expensive looking after so many children of this kind, or even those with worse needs. The contributions we get from parents and the Government are not enough to cater buy sewing machines, computers and water tanks. But Rotarians, in this country have always given a hand. They have helped us restore hope to these innocent sweet children,†she says.
“Some children come when they have been over-protected and over-rejected by their parents. But they must learn stitching, cooking or tailoring. How will they survive tomorrow when their parents have long died?†she asks.
Founded in 1984 by a white lady only identified as Gill and three Ugandans, the school has come a long way in educating children who are mentally retarded, have speech problems and physical disability. Since 1996 when it became a government-aided school, the population has increased from 12 to 69 children with special needs (39 boys and 30 girls).
The school also had its name changed from ‘a home for mentally retarded and handicapped children’ to ‘a home for special needs education’.
“People gave them names, they called them insane children. Is it their fault that they are in the state they are?†Biyinzika asks: “What these children only require is love. Even if they did the opposite of what you asked them to do, you wouldn’t take it in bad faith because you would bear in mind that they are special children.â€
She is grateful to the Rotary Foundation for training teachers in special needs.
And it is these voluntary teachers that have enabled these children believe in themselves.
“Finished making another shirt?†a teacher asks teasingly patting Lutaaya on the back. He grins. “No, I am just starting one,†he laughs.
Founded in 1905, Rotary International comprises business and professional individuals who give voluntary support to the implementation of community projects, including Lutaaya’s school.
Approximately 1.2 million people belong to more than 3,200 clubs in about 200 countries and geographical regions, to encourage high ethical standards in vocations and help build good will and peace. Uganda has 56 clubs.
Rotary clubs throughout the world are grouped and administered through districts, with each district headed by a governor. There are 529 districts in the rotary world.
District 9200, where Uganda belongs, is also made up of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. But Uganda is undoubtedly blessed.
The current Rotary district governor 9200, Francis Tusubira, is the fifth from a country in the 85-year history of District 9200.
As if those are not blessings enough, Chris Mityala, the former charter president of the Rotary Club of Kyambogo, Kampala, has been nominated the district governor 2006/07.
Mityala was a district Officer for many years, a pioneer assistant governor (1999-2000 and 2000-01) and country chair (2003-04 and 2004-05) respectively.
Every year, Rotarians in District 9200 put more than $4m into various projects such as clean water, sanitation, literacy, immunisation, health facilities, micro finance, care for orphans and handicapped children.
It is projected that more than 40% of the contributions come to Uganda and have registered tremendous achievements.
In 2002/03, Kampala North supported the immunisation against Polio, with over 100 children in respective city suburbs benefiting weekly.
Rotary has also gone a long way to recognise personalities including President Yoweri Museveni in appreciation of the contributions towards Rotary’s humanitarian and educational programmes.
The recognition dubbed ‘Paul Harris Fellow’ is given to an individual who contributes $1,000 or more.
“We sometimes forget the spirit of giving in our culture. Disabled children need hope. Children, who are starving, shouldn't be when we can give a hand. It is courtesy,†Tusubira says.
It is for this noble cause that the 2006/07 Rotary International president, William Boyd is in Uganda, to thank Rotarians for addressing the needs of communities.
Boyd’s visit, starting August 22-25, will involve touring several charity projects supported by Rotary Foundation, parliamentarians, Museveni and Kabaka Ronald Mutebi.
Boyd began his term of office last month with an emphasis to affirm belief in the power of Rotary and influence people to come together to help.
Ends