Kwale county governor Fatuma Achani marked Valentine’s day that is celebrated every 14 day of February annually at Kwale school for the mentally handicapped.
She was accompanied by county executive members for social services and talent management Francisca Kilonzo and that for education Mishi Kaole
She had visited the school to give an ear to the various challenges being encountered as well as offer valentine gifts to the students.
Achani promised to work with related stakeholders to uplift the school’s face.
‘As long as I have come here today, the school will not remain the same. I will work and ask the ministry to come on ground and address various issues the institution is facing,” she said.
Among the challenges encountered is the lack of a worship center for both Muslims and Christians.
County director national council for people living with disability Koima Chimera said that the council has been able to support the institution with bursary and infrastructure but there is a need to team up with more stakeholders so as to upgrade the school.
‘‘We have been able to support the school in terms of bursary through our education assistance program, we have also been able to support them with assistive devices like wheelchairs and crutches for the learners to be able to move within the school,” she added.
Madam Chimera also pointed out that there is still a big gap in terms of facilitation for the institution to accommodate more learners.
The school head teacher Sofia Olia Wedo said the school lacks a proper fence and ECDE class among other crucial amenities.
The school is holding students from within the Coast and there are only two self-reliant schools of such kind at the Kenyan Coast.
The 11 acres extra county school currently has 276 mentally challenged kids with only 17 teachers.
’’ We only have 17 teachers which is not enough compared to the ration of the number of teachers to students, “she added.
The head teacher asked the governor to help them get more teachers to enable the programs to run as planned.
Governor Achani ordered the C.E.C.M. for social services and talent management to address challenges such as lack of football, jazz, ball among other sports related challenges.
