A teacher who lives for special needs children

Growing up, Oyesigye was more than oblivious to people with disabilities. he was terrified of them until he underwent a transformation similar to that of the Biblical Saul-Paul.

“After completing my Grade Three teacher’s certificate from Bishop Stuart College in Mbarara, I taught at Tukole Invalids School in 1988. The administration then gave me free accommodation at the school but I chose to rent in the trading centre because I was very scared of the children. They seemed so different and appeared violent and dangerous to me,” Oyesigye recalls.

But working in close proximity with the children finally helped him overcome his fear and blindness. He recognised that they were people who needed his love, protection and help to realise their potential. His newly-found passion saw him appointed education secretary of the centre. His main responsibility was to create awareness in the population on the plight of children with disabilities. “I would comb Rwampara County on my bicycle encouraging families of children with disabilities to take them to school,” he recalls.

In a short period of time, the school was overwhelmed by growing number of pupils and could not accept any more enrollments because most of the parents would just drop their children and leave without paying anything.

Oyesigye says he could not let the children remain in the dire conditions he had witnessed. He committed himself to paying for their education although his salary could not help much. To raise money, he devised a sponsorship programme dubbed “the guardians card”. He would visit schools and churches and appeal to those capable of making monetary contribution towards the children’s education. But with time, the school was unable to accommodate all the children so he decided to start his own.

Getting involved
With the support of his wife, Oyesigye opened Foundation for the Handicapped in Ruhandagazi village, Bushenyi, a school for special needs children. The school started off with seven children but within six months, the number had grown to 30.
A year later, he started community-based rehabilitation programmes in Kyamuhunga where adult persons with disabilities would get support to earn a living. In 1991, the deputy RDC recommended Oyesigye to the British High Commission who helped build the school’s administration block and another classroom.
Up to this point, Oyesigye was relying on his passion to develop and run these programmes. but in 1996, he decided to get more specialised knowledge by enrolling for a Diploma in Special Needs Education at Kyambogo University.

After his Diploma, he was posted to Ntungamo as the District Education Officer where he established two special needs education facilities as well as Pearl Friends of Children with Disabilities, a sponsorship programme.

In 2016, he helped form the association of special needs teachers in the country that unites 1,200 teachers where he acts as the general secretary. The teacher explains that inclusive education caters for children living with all barriers that interfere with their ability to learn including physical disabilities, social-emotional problems and chronic diseases.

Oyesigye has so far published two books on educating children with special needs: Teaching the Gifted &Talented learners –in the Mainstream and Creating Educational Opportunities for children with Disabilities -A reflection on personal experiences.