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<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <div> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> </table>   News Letter December/January 2011                             Firstly let me wish you all a very Happy New Year from everyone on the SEN Team.  It’s unbelievable where the time goes!!!   Sadly one of our clients Ronald passed away during December but during the short time we spent supporting him, his last days were more comfortable and he was able to mix with his community thanks to the use of a wheelchair and our outreach team.   We held our end of Year Christmas Parties at the outreach clinics in Kyabirwa, Kyomya and Bugembe.  I found myself explaining the story of Santa Claus and the reindeers delivering presents and leaving mince pies, beer and carrots out for them to eat…..it wasn’t until I saw the expressions on the children’s faces that I realized just how far fetched this really sounds!!!!  We all had good fun making Christmas cards and decorations nevertheless.               Kyabirwa Christmas Party making Xmas            Action songs at the newly painted          Joseph Kabaire - Bugembe Cards                                                              Kyabirwa clinic                                     Outreach Assistant   December saw the addition of more children added to the SEN database and the waiting list for Kyomya SEN residential unit.  The final refurbishments have been made to the dorm block at Kyomya and we are now ready for the reopening at the beginning of February 2011.   Various meetings have been held between SPE SEN and the Ministry of Education and Sports in order to get the relevant teaching staff transferred, additional funding allowance for children with SEN, buying 100kg sacks of posho, beans and rice (yes carried back from the market on a boda boda) to feed the residential children and the last minute spring clean.   We would also like to welcome Joseph Kabaire to our team; he has been an active member of the parents committee in Bugembe and has now become our outreach assistant.  He is currently undergoing two weeks training alongside our other staff in the clinics and from myself and Romeo.   Joseph will be working in Walukuba West Primary School and clinic in the mornings supporting the residential children in the SEN unit and then running the outreach clinic in Bugembe in the afternoons and also supporting families in Bugembe community.   Our Knitting and tailoring parent groups are now producing items which are being sold in our Amagezi art shop up at Bujagali.  The ladies are still showing lots of enthusiasm so any wool, knitting needles, material, thread would be greatly received.   We are looking forward to the arrival of the SEN outreach Vehicle which we are importing from the UK.  This will enable the team to visit more communities and individuals in their homes in the hard to reach rural villages.     Request   Does anyone have any laptops that they no longer require, if so the SEN project would love to have them for the staff and children to support their learning?   In order to keep the knitting groups running we are looking for anyone to donate knitting needles and/or wool to the SEN project. Please email me if you have any of the above.     VOLUNTEERING   Do you have a passion, love and enthusiastic personality and want to learn more about disability in Uganda?  Or you are a professional in the field of SEN education/health and want to enhance your professional development?  Email me at <a href="mailto:sarah@softpowereducation.com">sarah@softpowereducation.com</a> for more information.   <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/special-educational-needs-project">www.justgiving.com/special-educational-needs-project</a>   Again we would like to thank everyone who has made donations, without you this much needed work would not be possible.  If you would like to make further donations visit the website or www.justgiving.com/special-educational-needs-project <a href="http://www.softpowereducation.com/">www.softpowereducation.com</a> British Registered Charity 1098936 SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS PROJECT (SEN) </div> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: #f0f0f0;"> <div class="shape" style="padding-bottom: 3.6pt; padding-left: 7.2pt; padding-right: 7.2pt; padding-top: 3.6pt;"> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> </table> SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS PROJECT (SEN) News Letter April 2010                               April has seen the close of the second term at Walukuba West SEN unit where we have had positive feedback from the teachers, parents and volunteers.   The outreach services have continued to be a success in Kyabirwa and Walukuba.  They have been visited and supported by another OT and an OT equipment specialist during April.   During the term closure my team have been out and about in Budondo Sub County registering more children with disabilities in another 10 villages and also setting up another 10 parent SEN support groups.   After the initial visit we are revisiting to carry out disability awareness training for those communities and to make them aware of what services we offer and what else is available to them and their children in the district.   Preparations are underway to reopen Kyomya SEN residential unit which will house a further 24 children with physical, intellectual disabilities and deaf children.   We have been holding interviews to post 2 teachers whom hold diplomas in SEN, in addition to 2 matrons and a teaching assistant for Kyomya.  We are working closely with the Ministry of Education and the school itself to get the best.   Our Outreach Project Coordinator, Ochieng Kassedde Romeo has embarked on a year’s distance learning level 2 course in SEN which he is very excited about.           Jacqui Best OT and Josephine               SEN parent committee in Namizi        Registering of children in Namizi working with a child at our  Kyabirwa Outreach Clinic     At the end of May I will be running the Jinja Half Marathon to continue to raise the much needed funds to keep this project up and running.  I have been training with local Ugandans from the gym who all see me as a novelty factor (the only woman and a Muzungo at that)!!! It’s been a fun and different experience running on roads with more pot holes than tarmac!!!, hills that my legs have never seen before, burning sun and freak thunder storms.  The madness of 6.15am starts on a Sunday for the long runs have become a ritual………  To make a donation click on the link    www.justgiving.com/special-educational-needs-project   Again we would like to thank everyone who has made donations, without you this much needed work would not be possible.  If you would like to make further donations visit the website or www.justgiving.com/special-educational-needs-project               <a href="http://www.softpowereducation.com/">www.softpowereducation.com</a> British Registered Charity 1098936 <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> </tr> </tbody> </table>

SEN Project Jinja, Uganda

SEN Project Jinja, Uganda

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