Ubuntu Special Needs Centre
Ubuntu SNC is eliminating stigma, fostering inclusion, and providing essential services for children with special needs throughout Kenya.
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Research
0pt
Idea
63pt
Evaluation
1pt
Collaboration
46pt
Total
110pt
Ubuntu SNC is eliminating stigma, fostering inclusion, and providing essential services for children with special needs throughout Kenya.
This interface is fascinating, its great to see how you can use analytics rather than traditional methods to detect learning disabilities in children.
We currently run the Ubuntu Special Needs Centre for children with special needs who are outside of the mainstream school system - do you have any suggestions on how to deploy technology/apps such as this to users who cannot be reached through the traditional teacher/school infrastructure?
We do have a formalized training program for families, which includes social inclusion events, awareness events, and family training on-site and in-home. Through feedback from the families we've identified other opportunities for growth in our program, however. We're looking to begin including specific training for siblings, and plan to host more events at the Centre (from quarterly to monthly).
Thank you for bringing our attention to the concept of a mobile solution - this was actually something that came up in our user experience mapping exercise and through feedback from the Maai Mahiu community. Because of the stigma of PWD in the region, many individuals are unwilling to come forward for fear of being labelled or judged. Providing a mobile phone number to reach the Centre allows anonymity for those who are not yet ready to reach out in person. We love what you all are doing with screening and diagnosis of children with autism in Uganda. We do hope to get to the point where we can help to counsel families on this level in order to expand our reach within the region.
One of the challenges that we are now looking to tackle is how to disseminate a mobile/counseling number so that we are effectively leveraging our enterprises in the area and reaching as wide of an audience as possible. We would love to discuss the challenges you have had using a mobile solution in your communities. We have had issues in the past but feel that this is an opportune time to move forward in this direction. Can you give us insight into the response rate you have encountered, or any barriers to response that you have targeted?
And yes, we do charge a very nominal school fee but we are working to make the program more self-sustainable. We have noted, though, that this 'buy-in' to the program helps to solidify commitment to the program on a more holistic level.
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