Sensitise public on children’s rights

Vivian Agaba

What you need to know:

There is a need to unremittingly burst myths surrounding disability through continuous sensitization

Until recently, there were all kinds of myths and misconceptions about children with disabilities.

In many communities in Uganda,  children with disabilities were looked at as a burden, cursed, less capable of achieving anything worthwhile. And as a result, many of their rights were trampled on by both family and community members.

Abusing rights of children with disability in anyway is a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which recognises the need to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

Like any other child, children with disabilities have a right to fully enjoy their fundamental human rights, including a right to education, medical care, identity, protection from any kind of harm, proper care/love etc.

In recent times, there has been some positive strides in reference to the promotion of the rights of children with disability by government and other partners.

In 2019, for instance, UNICEF and the government entered into a partnership with the Starkey Foundation, and supplied hearing devices to 1,554 learners from 296 primary schools in 79 districts across Uganda. This was in support of a policy developed by the government with support of the Global Partnership for Education and the World Bank, to promote special needs and inclusive education to give every child an equal chance to an education.

Recently, I joined  the Rotary Club of Lubowa during a visit  to Mukisa Foundation on Bussi Island- L. Victoria to monitor the performance of a livelihood programme launched in 2020 to empower families who have children with disabilities with vocational skills and best farming practices.

Apart from skilling, the parents are also counselled and sensitised on issues of disability.   I spoke to a number of parents who admitted that prior they didn’t know how to care for these children. They would scream at them, isolate them, and deny them clean clothes and education,  due to ignorance.

Also,  some of these children used to be tied on trees in some homes, because it was believed that they were possessed by demons from L. Victoria. Some people believed that parents who gave birth to children with disabilities had  offended the spirits.

These beliefs have since then been diluted.  Many children are now attending school and some have acquired tailoring skills.

Also, their parents have been supported to start income generating activities such as piggery, farming, and cattle rearing.  Such efforts are geared towards empowering both parents and children to realise their abilities and live to their fullest potential.

Children with disabilities can achieve their full potential is through an all-inclusive education. This is in line with sustainable development goal (SDG4) which focuses on inclusive and equitable quality education and promotion of life-long learning opportunities for all, eliminating gender disparities in education and ensuring equal access to all levels of education.

According to the Ministry of Education and Sports (2017), some 9,597 pupils enrolled in pre-primary schools (1.6percent) have impairments. The majority were children with ‘mental impairment’ (28 percent) followed by ‘hearing impairments’ (25 percent), ‘visual impairment’ (22 percent), ‘physical impairment’ (16 percent), ‘autism’ (5 percent) and ‘multiple handicaps-deaf and blind’ (4 percent).

For children with disabilities to enjoy their basic human rights and live a fulfilling life, there is a need to unremittingly burst myths surrounding disability through continuous sensitisation, targeting communities where most of these children live comes in handy.

The writer is a journalist, and consultant writer/editor