The Director African Union of Blind (AFUB) Lucas Amothe has appealed to the national government to equip the institutions for children with special needs with their learning materials so that they can get skills.

Speaking at Likoni school for the vision impaired children as they marked the day of African Child Amothe said these children have a right to acquire knowledge from these institutions and they can only learn with the required equipments like the tactual aids, brailles, mini and screen readers in the schools.

“Once these children acquire knowledge they will have skills that will empower them so that they can depend on themselves in future so it is important for these schools to have enough learning equipments in their classes,” Amothe said.

He noted that most of the African countries face similar challenges with the disabled schools hence the governments should assist in empowering the special needs children through skills taught in their institutions.

“Throughout the 53 countries of Africa continent we have similar challenges facing the institutions of special needs children it is very sad,” he said.

Amothe also urged parents with special need children to take them to their related schools so that they can get empowered and assist themselves in future.

“Stop this culture of hiding these children you will not be helping them. Bring them out and register them in schools they will be empowered and be better people in future,” Amothe said.

The principal Likoni school for the vision impaired Elizabeth Ngare also insisted that it is a responsibility for each parent with a disabled child to take them to school.

“Empower these children with knowledge so that they can get skills and do useful things in future,” Ngare said.

Ngare also added that they have some reach out programs where they go to villages in search of the special needs children who are locked in the houses.

“Parents should stop these cultural beliefs of viewing these children as burdens or curse to them. It is very wrong. These children can also do well in life when given knowledge and skills,” she said.

However the 281 vision impaired students celebrated the event with different entertaining activities such as modelling, drama and poems among others.