Hi! Everyone,
Hoping that you are all doing fine. It’s another great moment to speak to you all and happy to inform you that one of our kid i.e Gibson who as from this year transferred to a special school called Sahajanand special school located within Mtwapa is now settled on class doing his vocational skills.
Gibson aged 17 years has a special need case i.e down syndrome and thanks to his sponsors his been able to proceed with his learning since he was recruited into the program and admitted at Mtwapa Academy ever since he was in the kindergarten and now has joined special training doing some vocational skills. The special school where Gibson’s learns has a total population of 120 kids with special need cases, however the vocational Centre classes are subdivided into 3 streams/class each with an average of 40 kids per class with an average number of 3 teachers per class. Each teacher has his or her own specialty in teaching.
The different special needs or disabilities in all the 3 classes are down syndrome, epilepsy, microcephalaus,dyrocephalaus,learning disabilities, communication disabilities e.g cerebral palsy or mental health and hearing impairment.
The subject involved in the vocational class include Maths where they learn basic maths e.g number work and how to give back correct change in case the kid has started his or her own business.Entepreneurship where they learn how to be self-reliant after training and be able to start their own businesses. Communication skills, ICT,P.E,First Aid. Vocational skills or projects involved include e.g making of doormats, beading/jewellery e.g making of bracelets and necklaces. Handcraft, leather work e.g making of shoes.Homescience where they learn on how to take care of the house, cleaning of the house and washing of utensils. Other optional subjects include Agriculture where kids learn how to do some basic agricultural activities e.g land/soil preparation, sowing at the school green house where they practice planting of vegetables e.g tomatoes and spinach. Metal work,wood work,Poultry keeping, construction e.g brick making and tailoring.
Here below the daily school timetable.-
8.00 am-9.00am…………morning prayers and beginning of morning class.
9.00am-10.00am……...2nd morning class period.
10.00am -11.00am…..break.
Note-the above class periods include subjects like maths, entrepreneurship, life skills, first aid, communications skill etc depending on the day. However all the vocational skills classes begin after break.
11.00am-12.00 pm……………..vocational skills.
12.00pm-1.00pm…………….lunch
1.00pm-2.00pm………………vocational skills
3.00pm-4.00pm…………games/sports…..involves football, recreational activities e.g playing draughts.
Exams are only done as assessment and through observation as the special need kid do his or her own practical work. Also a kid should be able to write his or her name and be able to do some of the basic mathematics.
By the end of the day special need kids end up doing lots of successful projects especially in bead work and handcraft. Due to this the teachers have a special appeal to everyone since they do not have a ready market that whoever is interested in the finished products is welcomed to buy the products and can also make special arrangements for the products to be sent to them. At the moment the school depends entirely on the visitors who come to the school to visit the kids and then buy the products. All the proceeds or sales help in buying some more teaching material for the kids. Please see the picture gallery for pictures of the Gibson’s special school activities.
With that I say thank you to everyone involved in the support of the Mtomondoni sponsorship program and more special thanks goes to Gibson’s sponsors for their continued and generous support to Gibson’s education.
Yours in service,
Moses Kopulo-(sponsorship coordinator-Africa).