Last week marked World Disability Day on 3 December – a yearly opportunity to reflect on the unique experience of people living with disabilities and to advocate for their rights. Our team in Ethiopia got involved to champion the inclusion of children with disabilities in schools.
We arranged for a young student to give an interview at her local radio station – Wogeta FM in the Wolaita region of Ethiopia. Genet* told listeners about the challenges that young people like herself face in getting to school. These are social as well as physical. Many communities choose not to send disabled girls to school and hide them away at home. Genet is determined to tackle social norms that still prevent so many children from going to school and urged parents to change this practice.
Genet also described how Link’s support had made a huge difference to her education. We provided a bursary and school materials, but we also worked with the teachers and leadership at the school to promote a culture of inclusion. It was so rewarding to hear that these efforts had made a difference in helping her to get a quality education.
To learn more about our work supporting girls in Ethiopia to excel in school, click here. And to learn more about how we support inclusion across all our programmes for all learners, click here.
*name changed for privacy
