Alex Aharikundira’s Story
He is aged 14 years old and is from Kacuro village, Kabale district South Western Uganda with Visual Impairment. We got to know about his disability early this year (2020) when our Organization (Disability Sign World) was making a survey in different communities in Kabale district to identify Children With Disabilities (CWD) and their challenges.
We identified ALEX through the area representative on disability for Kyanamira Sub-county Mr. BOSCO who was taking us through his community.
On 12th March 2020, we arranged to go visit his home in Kacuro village, Kyanamira Sub-county. With a warm welcome from his parents, we asked his mother where ALEX was. His Mother went inside house and brought him as he is always locked inside because there is no one to take care of his because he can’t move on his own without the support of any person or White cane and day time they are busy in garden until late evening when they come back and find him home. Mere looking at him, you almost shade tears because he is always inside house alone day and night without talking to anyone or get fresh air and Alex’s skin colour had started changing slowly to brown due to lack of sunshine and fresh air.
We asked her mother about the cause of his blindness, she says they are not sure of the cause as the problem started in 2016 as he had reached Primary Two (p.2) at Kacuro Primary School. He started complaining of pain in his eyes but his parents took it for granted until he completely failed to look the black board and the teachers told him not to come back to school until he is taken to hospital for checkup.
The parents took him to Rugarama hospital in Kabale district, they diagnosed him and referred them to Mbarara Hospital but they couldn’t go because they never had transport to take them there and they went back home.
On 15th March 2020, Disability Sign World worked hand in hand with the District Counsellor for the disabled Miss KOBUSINGYE ANNAH and managed to get Alex a white cane, took it to his home so that he can be able to move himself around home than keeping inside house as it was the case before.
We again talked to his parents of the great importance of taking him to Hornby primary school of the Blind in Kabale District, his parents say they can’t afford school fees and other requirements for him to go back and study. With our social interaction with ALEX, he wishes to go back to school and acquire Quality Inclusive Education regardless of his Blindness but his parents can’t afford.
On behalf of Disability Sign World which is a Non-Governmental Organization advocating for the Rights of All Persons With Disabilities in Kabale District, we call upon up all well-wishers, National and International Organizations to come up and support ALEX so that he goes back to school and achieve his dreams like any other person.
