Forty primary and secondary schools in Kigali city have received sports equipment worth Rwf 41 million, which is extended to students with disabilities, focusing on mental disability.

The development comes after cases of stigmatization of mentally disabled students were reported among primary and secondary schools in Rwanda.

Dr. Rose Baguma, the Director General of education policy and analysis in the Ministry of Education commended the initiative which she said will complement the school sports policy adopted in early 2021.

"The school sports policy states that sports should also be prioritized for children living with disabilities, so this support is coming to align us with that policy where every child will feel inclusive in the system,” she said.

Moreover, she adds, it heals the mental illnesses of children as it detects their talents and makes them feel valuable in the society.

The equipment were donated by Special Olympics Rwanda, an organisation that engages children and adults with intellectual disabilities into sports.

The organisation’s chairman, Deo Sangwa said that the move comes to also address the loneliness among mentally disabled children.

"A number of children have been stigmatized because they have certain disabilities and were left out among different games at school. This increases loneliness in them, and worsens their mental capacities which need to heal,” he commented.

"But in certain countries, we have seen and experienced mentally disabled children competing for international awards and coming home with medals! That is why we need to also scale up sports among disabled children in Rwanda,” he added.

One of the beneficiaries of the equipment, Agnes Mukashyaka who is the head teacher of Izere Mubyeyi, one of the schools catering for disabled children in Kigali said lauded the gesture, saying it will make disabled children feel inclusive in sports and benefit from a healthy life, physical fitness and a good learning environment which are wholly facilitated by sports.

The equipment was donated in Special Olympics Rwanda’s project called Unified Champion Schools which has a target of reaching 400 schools nationwide in the next three years.