Susan, head teacher at the inclusive school in Kalobeyei refugee camp in Kenya, visits the students during a maths lesson. | © Elizabeth Sellers / HI
Susan has been a teacher for 12 years. She is head of Kalobeyei pre-school, which welcomes children with disabilities.
“I love teaching and being with children. At first, I didn’t know how to support students with disabilities. But now I’ve had training and I’m more skilled at helping them”, explains Susan.
Adaptations have been made to Kalobeyei school to make it inclusive. The playground has been improved and some new equipment bought. These changes have made the school – and therefore schooling - accessible for children with disabilities.
Teachers and staff at the school have also been trained in how best to teach students with disabilities and how to encourage parents of disabled children to enrol them in school.
Members of the school committee even visit these students at home to make sure they don't miss class.
Susan tells us that the students – and the community as a whole – want to help improve the inclusion of students with disabilities.
“My school is different from other schools”, she explains. “Children with disabilities can access the building and move around without difficultly. Before, there were not many students. Now there are more and more. They enjoy going to school! "
The aim of the project is to determine the impact of inclusive education on children, students and the community. HI teams then intend to develop an awareness plan to be implemented in schools in other communities.
“Our school works well, but one inclusive school is not enough”.
