STATEMENT 

Disability is currently recognized as a development concern which requires inclusion as pointed out within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs; the National Development Plan (NDP 1II) 2015/16 – 2019/20; the Social Development Sector Plan (SDSP1) 2015/16-2019/20. Uganda’s commitment to inclusive sustainable development was demonstrated through the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and other International, Continental and Regional Provisions. Government of Uganda uses a twin track approach; through the provision of mainstream and specialized services to persons with disabilities for inclusive development. Majorly mainstream services such as Health, Poverty Reduction Programs, Universal Primary and Secondary Education are all supposed to target persons with disabilities.

Despite all the above efforts by the government of Uganda to develop an inclusive society, children with disabilities in Ntungamo still face severe challenges of lack of scholastic materials, school uniforms, long distances, poor personal hygiene among adolescent PWD girls which results into poor performance and dropping out of schools. The Ministry of Education and Sports announced the reopening of all education institutions on 10th January, 2022 after two years of closure due to covid-19, this is a time Uganda is getting out of the third wave of the pandemic, all students are supposed to wear masks and have hand sanitizer to protect themselves against the pandemic.

 Support disabled Uganda conducted a field profiling of the vulnerable children with disability and realized that more than 100 children with disabilities who are from vulnerable households are likely not to continue with their education career due to lack of scholastic materials, adolescent girls are unable to handle their menstrual hygiene due to lack of sanitary kits and personal protective equipment against covid-19. Support Disabled Uganda (SDU) has come up with this proposal to seek for support in order to help children who have lost hope to further their education which was hampered by covid-19.