Being born with a unique condition inspired me to help children with special needs

Jackline Ndungwa Waiharo was born with thoracic kyphosis, a condition that causes an abnormal curvature of the spine, commonly referred to as a hunchback. The condition also caused her right leg to be shorter than her left.

She went to an intergrated school where children with no physical disabilities were also admitted.

"Unlike special schools, which are only for children with disabilities, integrated schools mix disabled and non-disabled children in a system that promotes inclusion to promote the idea that all children can coexist and learn together," she says.

But despite all this, she says that it did not limit her to sometimes being bullied by the other children.

And it was at this point in her life that she vowed to devote her life to helping people with physical disabilities as a teacher.

After finishing her studies she was immediately posted to teach at Kagoto Primary School in Bahati, where she was excited to begin her career by empowering children with disabilities.

On arriving at the school, she was surprised to find that there were no children with disabilities in the school. 

She later discovered that this was because most parents did not send their children with special needs to school. 

This, in turn, resulted in an older generation of disabled people who lacked essential skills for formal employment.

"Most children with disabilities are kept at home, locked away, which shouldn't be the case because they have a right to education," she says.

Jackline began going door-to-door and holding community awareness meetings to encourage parents to send their children to school. 

"The call was heeded because caregivers saw that I too had disabilities and was open about these issues," she says.

She is proud to say that the number of students with disabilities in her school has increased from zero to thirty.

Jackline has also helped seven young people with physical and hearing impairments learn skills in nail technology, make-up application, crochet, graphic design and dread waxing.

"They were trained in these skills to help them achieve independence by earning an income. Four of those trained have already found employment," she notes.

The 30-year-old observes that many employers are reluctant to hire people with disabilities, which she says discriminates against them. 

"Most employers reject applications from people with disabilities without even assessing their abilities. It's important that they are given opportunities," she says.

Although the school has yet to set up a special education department, Jackline is studying for a degree in special inclusive education to continue advocating for the rights of people with disabilities.

She remains committed to her work as she sees the significant impact she has had in alleviating hopelessness and helping people with disabilities become active members of the community.

"I encourage them to never feel the need to blend in, because for them, standing out will always be inevitable and hiding is much more work than standing out," she notes.