Harness is 11 years old. He has a disease called hydrocephalus. It can lead to dementia and physical disabilities. Sele has been lucky enough to attend a school that has chosen to learn how they can adapt the school and teaching so that Sele can participate.
When Sele was born, complications arose due to Sele's large head. The birth defects led to his mother dying when Sele was only two months old. He grew up with his father who supports them by making bricks.
Hydrocephalus is caused by an imbalance in the pressure and flow of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Accumulated water causes the head to swell and creates a pressure on the brain. Failure to receive care early can lead to brain damage, blindness, seizures and, in the worst case, the person may die. Hydrocephalus is a lifelong disease that for some may require access to care throughout life, while others may live a relatively normal life. In Tanzania, it is estimated that two children out of a thousand are born with hydrocephalus.
Going to school gives Sele faith in the future
Selenium, like most children with hydrocephalus, has a number of physical challenges to deal with. He has difficulty walking and can not stand or sit for long. Sele needs understanding teachers who are aware of his needs and can support him in the right way.
- Before Sele started in our school, we were unaware of disability issues and the special needs a child with a disability may have, says Sele's teacher.
It was after Sele's class teacher received information from the parent organization ASBAHT - the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Tanzania, of which Sele's father is a member, that Sele's teacher took responsibility for adapting the school environment to better suit Sele's needs.
ASBAHT has helped Sele's father get support from an organization that pays 30 percent of his son's school fees, but to get to school, Sele has to walk three kilometers every day. There is a school bus but he can not afford to take it.
Sele has a big head compared to other children with hydrocephalus, but he has been lucky who despite his illness can do as much as other children can. As the school has made some adjustments so that Sele can continue his education, he looks positively at the future and has plans for what he wants to train for and do when he grows up. It gives hope to other parents who have children with hydrocephalus.
Harness writes on the blackboard in the classroom.
Extremely few children with disabilities go to school in Tanzania
All children in Tanzania must be guaranteed schooling, but for children with disabilities, there are still few who have the opportunity to go to school. There are several reasons. Among other things, the physical environment in schools is rarely accessible, the classes are often too large, there is a lack of teachers with knowledge of how to teach children with special needs, transport to schools is inaccessible, awareness of disability issues is low and there is often a social stigma attached to disability.
Today, only between 1 and 3 percent of children with disabilities are estimated to go to school in Tanzania. Of the few who go to school, many drop out prematurely, partly because the school is not adapted to their needs and they can therefore not keep up with the teaching.
MyRight's member organizations support Tanzanian organizations working to make the school more accessible. It is partly about raising awareness of the right to education for children with disabilities and partly about influencing decision-makers and authorities so that they make the curriculum more inclusive, producing accessible textbooks and taking measures to train teachers in how to teach children with disabilities.
