Fount for Nations Intensifies Inclusive Education Push
Fides Msowoya, the director of education, youth, and sports in the Mzimba district council, said the council is aware of the importance of inclusive education in the country.
MZIMBA, Malawi— Fount for Nations, an organization fighting for inclusive education in Mzimba, has urged the government and other stakeholders to allocate more resources to the inclusive education department, writes ,James Nyirenda.
The group's advocacy and communications officer Connex Kafera made the remarks Wednesday during a review meeting with district executive committee members on the progress of the "Pamodzi for Inclusive Education in Southeast Africa" project being implemented in Mzimba South.
He said the organization has conducted consultative meetings with ministries, lobbying for increased funding toward inclusive education, human resources, budget itemization on significant expenditures, District Development Fund infrastructures accessible to learners, and assistive devices for all students to promote inclusive education.
Through the project, Kafera said, 60 inclusive education community champions have been trained in Mzimba South to spearhead the construction and renovation of user-friendly infrastructures, including changing rooms.
However, he noted that the reshuffle and transfer of personnel in government offices has been a major challenge in achieving the project's desired goals.
Fides Msowoya, the director of education, youth, and sports in the Mzimba district council, said the council is aware of the importance of inclusive education in the country.
"As Mmbelwa District Council, we take inclusive education very seriously," Msowoya said, adding that the council has trained teachers in special needs education, resulting in 46 primary school learners with special needs being selected for various secondary schools in the country, including national secondary schools.
Msowoya said the stigma against learners with special needs in schools is now a thing of the past, as most learners are passionate about helping their fellow learners with special needs in various ways, such as pushing their wheelchairs.
She urged all parents to expose all learners with special needs to the relevant authorities for support.
"This is a wake-up call to all of us to join hands and render a service of some kind to inclusivity as a program," Msowoya said.
"We're also lobbying from the community members of Parliament for equipment that can be used by special needs learners because those devices are very expensive."
Fount for Nations is implementing the "Pamodzi for Inclusive Education in Southeast Africa" project in Mzimba to reduce policy implementation and awareness gaps between inclusive education policies and programming.