ENSURING APPROPRIATE SCHOOL PLACEMENT:

The organization recognized early on that education is necessary for helping children with special needs to realize their full personal potential. Just as each disabled child is different in what medical treatment he or she requires, each disabled child is different in what school setting would allow for maximized learning and development. Children who are deaf, blind or affected by exceptionally severe physical disabilities are placed in special schools. In these schools, children are taught in ways that accommodate for their specific impairment and are allowed to interact with students who have similar life experiences and face similar challenges. In schools for the deaf, for instance, classes are taught using Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) and students are using sign, since these schools are specialized and few, however, students who attend are forced to live at school and board. Paired with the fact that many of these schools are private and very far away, financing a child to attend and board at a specialized school is extremely expensive and places a significant burden on Namelok-Naretoi, which supports its children through school with minimal contribution from parents.

The other option for disabled children after they receive the medical attention, is they need placement in inclusive public schools. One of the target areas of the National SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION policy framework is inclusive education and although public schools are not always fully equipped to meet the special educational needs of these students, disabled children have the right to attend public schools within their locality. Most of the children who live at Namelok-Naretoi attend St. Angelas Academy, which is located immediately behind the center, during and sometimes even after treatment. Other students sponsored by Namelok- Naretoi are in various boarding schools in the country, and are being educated in fully inclusive settings. There are many barriers preventing the realization of SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION, in public schools.

children being taken to school

Through Franciska,s dedicated work, many of the barriers preventing the realization of SNE in the Maasai communities surrounding Entasekera, have been removed , children who were once seen by their families and communities as cursed have received the healthcare they needed and been able to attend school and receive an education. Many students sponsored by Namelok- Naretoi have successfully completed secondary school and have become active and contributing members of their communities. Two students for instance have returned to work at Namelok- Naretoi and assist Franciska in running the center that gave them the opportunity to be educated and live largely self-sufficient lives.

The success of Namelok- Naretoi’s holistic approach to removing cultural barriers and addressing medical issues with the ultimate goal of realizing SNE is recognized by the entire community.

Namelok –Naretoi is the only known resource in the area for people affected by disability in Loita community, and people rely on the center and hard work on the part of all involved, it is a testimony to the fact that SNE can become a reality for disabled children in the most rural and remote Kenyan Maasai communities.