Hello there!
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
As I am nearing the end of my Masters of Education in Special Educational Needs, I have decided to try to put what I’ve learnt into practice in a completely different setting. Handicap International are holding their second “Inclusion Rwanda” project, a skills sharing session between teachers in the United Kingdom, and teachers in Rwanda. 13 teachers are travelling to Rwanda at the end of August to discuss and develop inclusionary practice. We will be doing many things – resource and idea sharing, observing, team teaching, meeting government personnel, meeting children with special needs and/or disabilities, their families, and their communities, discussing the challenges they face.
I hope to learn a lot too. The teachers among you – can you imagine facing these challenges:
- The “language of instruction” which has been French up to now, has been changed to English, with immediate effect. Teachers and children have to learn this new medium, as it is what all lessons will be taught in.
- Schools are being required to use the “secondary approach” to teaching – that is, have now to specify a subject specialism, and deliver that subject alone to all the classes in the school. There is concern how this will affect the monitoring of those children with special needs, as spreadsheets and databases are not available.
I hope to learn myself – I can’t imagine delivering a lesson without the use of a PowerPoint, or worksheet, or textbook, or at least file paper. These teachers do this every day! Also, including children with special needs/ disabilities without the support of a teaching assistant/ learning support tutor will be another challenge for me.
There are a number of ways you can help
1/ donate money. Use this website, it is safe, secure, and free. Donating throughJustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
At the minute JustGiving seem to be having some technical problems with their website. People have managed to donate sucessfully, but if your donation does not go through, leave it a day, then try again.
If you know of anyone who does not have internet access and would like to donate cheques made out to me in the first instance would be appreciated, then I can collate these and pass on to Handicap International UK
2/ pass on resources. The items listed below are items that schools in Rwanda have specifically asked for, and if you pass them to me (or the extended family!) I will take them over in my luggage. We have a generous luggage allowance so don’t worry about me having to pay extra charges
3/ I’m hoping to hold a car boot sale…just me and a car full of stuff that people no longer want, but could be used by someone else. Again, pass to me/ extended family (Northern Ireland only) and I will try to flog them. All proceeds raised will be passed on to Handicap International to fund the Inclusion Rwanda project.
4/ Thoughts and prayers also important!
The deadline for sponsorship is the end of July.
I am going with a coursemate and friend, Eleni Bimpiri, who also has a JustGiving page.
Thanks so much, look forward to hearing from you.
Resources you could donate:
Materials for counting, reading, writing
Materials for games (Balls etc)
Science materials (transportable in an aircraft!)
English Dictionaries (adult and child)
French-English dictionaries
Books in English, teaching tapes/ stories
School equipment adapted for children with disabilities (grips, coloured overlays)
Classroom posters
Coloured chalk
Find out more:
If you want to find out more about the work the charity do, and specifically the Inclusion Rwanda project click on the links below:
Handicap International
Inclusion Rwanda project
To watch a DVD of last years project, and the work of Handicap International, click here.
