Last week I met a boy with sickle cell and physical disability who sat for KCPE 2022 (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) and he got 340 marks. Unfortunately the boy doesn't have a father and his mother has a mental disability and has also re-married someone with the same Disability. The boy has been staying with the grandmother and they came to my office looking for assistance with the school fee but had already been referred to the NCPWD (The National Council for Persons with Disabilities) office for further assistance for scholarships and bursary.
As PWD’s leaders these are some of the challenges we are faced with, however, positive action is still taken. Lobbying individuals and organizations is important albeit these things need a lot of follow up. The Wezesha program, in Tanzania, is an NGO focused on supporting the government of Tanzania to develop digital citizens engagement platforms to improve public services and is a great resource.
The participant added ‘I will also sit in the NCPWD vetting committee for the bursary and economic empowerment program.
It was added by another ‘Some people promote a "Social/Human Rights Mode of Disability". We need to change Society to enable our Human Rights to be recognised.’
Another suggestion was ‘You may also liaise with the government busaries, as there are several. e. g., MCA's, Women county rep, MP, Governor, Churches, or even a well wisher, etc. Somehow, one or two of the above can assist.’
When talking about education of children with disabilities it elicits a lot of thoughts. Take for example the mainstream bursaries, children with disability get equal with others yet they have disability-related costs that nobody cares to know how they are taken care of. As OPD’s, the work load is enormous for lobbying and advocating for those rights. The only big mistake to make is to watch in silence. Let's play our role from wherever we are in every way big and small.....
The https://campaignforeducation.org/en/ may have useful information in this area.