Mfungale

Mfungale is eight years old and has cerebral palsy. His mother, Joyce, brought him to CCBRT for physiotherapy for the first time in 2002.  She reflects on the intervening years:

“CCBRT has helped me a lot during all these years. We discovered that Mfungale had CP when he was trying to sit. My husband left us because he didn’t want to be associated with a disabled child. I went from hospital to hospital but I didn’t see any progress. Finally I arrived at CCBRT and Mfungale got a long period of intensive physiotherapy. He has improved so much over the last years. We still go once a week to the physiotherapist. I have to carry Mfungale on my back since I can’t take the wheelchair on the daladala (local bus). I always see the people looking at me strangely. They don’t understand why I would carry such a big child, but I don’t really care. At least Mfungale is now able to sit, stand with support and even walk a little bit with some help.” 

Mfungale was referred to the CCBRT community services where he joined CCBRT’s education programme.  With CCBRT support, Mfungale has enrolled in a primary school near his home. His teacher, Mw Konia Mwakajileke, is proud of her student: “Mfungale is very motivated, and loves to learn new things. He likes mathematics and is very good in English. The other students have accepted him fully. When Mfungale first arrived we held some special classes on inclusion and on how not to stigmatise people with disabilities.  Mfungale made many new friends and they all help him where possible, for example by pushing his wheelchair over the step of the classroom.  It wasn’t too hard for the teachers to adapt, since Mfungale functions very well mentally. In the beginning we had some problems reading his handwriting, but now we are used to it, so that we can understand perfectly what he has written down.”

Mfungale’s mother is very happy that her son is going to school: “I bring him every morning to school, and pick him up afterwards. He always tells me about all the new things he learned. After school he plays football with the local team. He helps in goal and enjoys that very much. I hope that one day Mfungale will be able to walk with crutches, and take care of himself.”

CCBRT currently supports nearly 800 children with impairments in schools, enabling them to have an education they most likely would not otherwise have had.  Less than two per cent of children with disabilities in the developing world ever go to school.