Residents of Uwinkingi Sector in Nyamagabe District have expressed appreciation for the new resource centre that was inaugurated in the district to boost the education of children with disabilities and special needs.

The centre which was opened on Thursday is expected to increase access to education for students with special needs.

It is one component of a special education programme "L3 Plus,” which is part of the US Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Literacy, Language, and Learning (L3). The project is implemented by Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) Rwanda and funded by USAID via EDC.

"What delights me is that my child will have his rights to education recognised through this new resource centre for special needs education. He could not get a place to study in class because when I took him at school at the beginning of the academic year, teachers said that he distracted other children owing to the ‘gestures’ he made,” said Vincent Uwitonze, resident of Mudasomwa Cell, Uwinkingi Sector, whose 13 year old son is disabled.

 Visually impaired Anastase Ntaganda, 56, a father of five,  and resident of Kibyagira Cell in Uwinkingi Sector, said the leadership of the past as well as the society did not attach importance to children with disabilities. This kept them from enjoying their rights to education and healthcare.

"Now, it is gratifying that our children have all opportunities to study regardless of whether they have disabilities or not,” he noted.

"Whereas before a child with disabilities faced stigma, now we know that a child with a disability can study and acquire knowledge like any other child,” said Consolatte Dusabimana from Gicaca Cell in Uwinkingi Sector.

Antoine Niyitegeka, L3 Plus project manager said that so far 120 teachers have been trained since the project started in May, 2015.

Nyamagabe Vice Mayor for Social Affairs, Emile Byiringiro, said that whereas before, there was a lack of academic materials designed for children with disabilities and their teachers, with the centre this problem has been addressed.

 "There was a problem of lack of academic materials designed for children with disabilities. And teachers also did not have enough training, which resulted to children dropping out of school or studying in poor conditions,” he noted.

He said there is need for concerted efforts between various players to address the issues still faced by people with disabilities. He said that the district would try to help those who needed prosthetic limbs and the white cane for the visually impaired.

The new resource centre  will serve people in the  sectors of Uwinkingi, Gasaka and Tare, while the other recently launched centre in Nyaruguru District will serve people from Kibeho, Rusenge and Mata sectors.