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The journey of three blind students
Julius Kwizera revising his notes at school, before sitting his final papers. PHOTOs | ROBERT MUHEREZA
What you need to know:
- Although specialised schools for the blind may be a good option for some students who require intensive training, a good number of blind students can be successful in a mainstream school setting with access to appropriate services and support.
While the other Senior Six candidates were busy in the school library revising, Julius Kwizera, 21, a blind student at Hornby High School in Kabale District cut a lonely figure seated in one of the classrooms revising using his braille machine and papers.
Kwizera has been blind since he was two years old. Being too young at the time to remember the circumstances under which he lost his eyesight, his parents have told him that he was affected by a trachoma infection.
Caused by bacteria (Chlamydia trachomatis), trachoma is the leading preventable cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, 85 per cent of which occurs in Africa.
He is grateful to his parents who have done their best to treat him like a normal child all through his life. He was enroled at Hornby High School Junior in Kabale District, a school that caters for pupils with visual impairment, where he scored 22 aggregates.
He was readmitted for his O-Level education in which he scored 34 points. For his A-Level at the same school, Kwizera chose History, Runyankole and Divinity as his subject combination.
As he gets himself ready for the final exam in his beloved school, the resident of Rutungwe Village, Karambi parish, Nyarubuye Sub-county in Kisoro District cannot help but feel nostalgic and proud of what the school has been able to do for him. Kwizera notes that although his education has not been easy, especially difficulty in accessing learning materials, he is glad he managed to stay the course to the end.
“My parents and teachers made it clear to me that the goal was for me to become a full and independent person. As I became older, I gained more independence and I am looking forward to my future,” he says.
Kwizera envisions an excellent future where he is able to work and live on his own.
He wants to pursue mass communication and journalism at the university in preparation for a career in radio or television. His role model is Shaka Sali the outgoing host of Africa Today programme on Voice of America.
In addition to his trusted alarm clock that always woke him up for private revision, he commends the sighted students at the school who have been very instrumental in guiding him around the school and involving him in their group discussions.
The dynamic duo
Paul Kakoza, 21, and Edger Niwahereza, 20, are also blind students that completed the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education at Hornby High School in Kabale District.
The duo also completed their O-Level at Hornby High School, before joining A-Level at the same school, choosing History, Economics and Divinity as their combination subjects.
Kakooza says that he became blind at 15 years of age while Niwahereza became blind at the age of five. Unlike Kwizera whose blindness was linked to trachoma, the duo’s causes of their blindness was never diagnosed.
Paul Kakoza (right) and Edger Niwahereza (left) posing for a photo as they prepare to board a bus in Kabale Town heading to their individual homes after their exams.
Dream professions
Niwahereza says that his dream profession is becoming a social worker to, especially help the disadvantaged.
“From my experience I have learnt that blind students need help to learn to become independent. If by the time they become adults they cannot take care of themselves, they will become a burden to society since they have very limited chances of making it in the “real” world. And all of us want these children to be able to make it. So we need dedicated professionals that know the proper way to treat a preschooler and a high school student which makes a big difference to their lives,” Niwahereza says.
Kakooza, on the other hand, wants to become an accountant and hopes to join a university that offers special needs education to enable him realise his dream.
“I thank the government of Uganda for putting in place a special needs education programme because if it was not in place, I would not have made it to this level. My parents and teachers have been instrumental in making me what I am today and I am sure my future shall be bright,” Kakooza says.
Ms Fedelis Karugaba, a resident of Hamurwa Town Council in Rubanda District, is a foster parent of a blind school girl who completed Primary Seven at Hornby High School Junior Primary School in 2019. She says that providing the required educational materials is expensive.
“I enroled her at Hornby High School Junior which offers special needs education. It trained her on hygiene and by the time she completed Primary Two, she was able to wash her clothes, clean utensils, dress herself and make her bed. I am happy that she is now doing well in her Senior One,” Ms Karugaba says.
She says that shopping for a blind student requires extra funds compared to the sighted students because the former tend to misplace their belongings more often.
“I have learnt to buy things in doubles to make sure they always have an extra toothbrush, tooth paste or soap. Providing education to the blind student is not an easy task for an ordinary parent,” Karugaba adds.
Education challenges
According to Enid Naturinda, the head teacher at Hornby High School, the blind section was started in 1969 and since then the blind students have been out competing the sighted students in academics. She says the school administration, however, encounters several challenges in providing education to them.
She says that for the 2021 academic year, they have a total of 230 students in the whole school, of which 26 are blind. 13 of the blind students are males and the rest are females.
“The school has only two teachers for the blind section who must transcribe their notes for the sighted teachers of different subjects to mark them yet as per Ministry of Education guidelines, every four blind students require one teacher. This means that we should be having about six teachers for the effective teaching in the blind section. Both teachers that we have are not on the government pay roll which means that they are paid by the parents,” Naturinda says.
She adds that they lack modern equipment for the blind section because they are expensive.
“One Perkin braille machine that can be used in the effective teaching of the blind students costs Shs3m. We need other specialised information technology equipment such as screen magnification, Braille displays and notetakers, among others. We need transcribers to help in translating the braille work for the sighted teachers to mark the exams submitted by the blind students,” Naturinda says.
She appeals to the government to consider special funding for the blind section in order to continue providing quality education.
“A combination of blind and sighted students in the same school has promoted social responsibility because the sighted students have learnt that leaving desks on classroom verandas causes accidents to the blind,”Ms Naturinda added.
She also says that the school administration is so grateful to the individuals and organisations that have always donated scholastic materials to the blind section thus facilitating their education.
At a glance
Hopeful
Edger Nuwahereza got 11 aggregates in Primary Leaving Examinations at Hornby high school and 27 aggregates at O-Level in the same school.
Paul Kakooza got 50 aggregates at O-Level at the same school.
Julius Kwizera got 22 aggregates at Primary Leaving Examinations, 34-aggregates at O-Level. They all completed Senior Six at Hornby High School and they are waiting for their results.
Julius Kwizera wants to be a radio/television journalist.
Edger Niwahereza wants to become a social worker.
Paul Kakooza wants to be an accountant.
