By Mohamed Vandi in Kenema
The Programme Coordinator of Kenema School For the Blind has accused the government through the Ministry of Education of ignoring the blind in the district. In an exclusive interview with Politico Hanafi Sowa said that he had met the Minister, Dr. Mikailu Bah on several occasions seeking approval for the school that has a roll of more than hundred pupils, but to no avail. He says that in September 2007 he applied to the Ministry of Education and to the Kenema City Council for the establishment of the School, adding that two inspectors Lucy Ngawajia and Joseph Fatorma were later sent to inspect the school facilities. The inspection result dated 22nd May 2009 which Politico saw recommended thus: “after seeing effort of the Community, we strongly support the establishment of the school.” The inspection also indicated satisfactory results for the school land, play ground, and the availability of office space, store, kitchen, toilet and water. Sowa said that upon the “satisfactory inspection”, the Ministry of Education wrote to the Kenama City Council in a letter dated 23rd June, 2009 which Politico also saw, seeking their approval. And in a letter dated 26th June, 2009, signed by the then Mayor, Chief Brima Kargbo, the Council approved the establishment of the School. Despite all this, he said, no action had been taken by the ministry to approve the school and put the teachers on a payroll. He accused the Ministry of abandoning the blind to suffer by themselves, with their teachers unable to take care of their homes because they are not being paid. “The only support we get from the government is the supply of embossed curriculum core text books,” Sowa said. He said the New Apostle Church that used to supply them rice had not responded and that there was no food in the store for the more than seventy boarding students who were due to return from holidays shortly. Sowa praised Helen Keller, an international nongovernmental organisation for erecting an eight-classroom block, a dining hall, store, kitchen and VIP latrines for the school. He said the pupils age between 6 and 11 years, with skill enhancement training programmes for blind adults in cloth-weaving, soap-making and craft work. He boasted that the school had reintegrated pupils into Junior Secondary School, and the youth had also graduated from various skill trainings. When contacted the Deputy Director of Education, Kenema District, Claudius Wilson said that he was briefed about the school when he took over two years ago and all documentation had been processed and sent to Freetown. He said that he had told the coordinator to make a follow-up in Freetown where the documents had long been forwarded. (C) Politico 10/09/13
