Senegal – Let’s say stop violence against children: inclusive education of children with disabilities

Let’s say stop violence against children: inclusive education of children with disabilities

Status: In progress | Number of beneficiaries: 900 children with disabilities

Project duration:  2017/2027, 11 years

Location: Departments of Tivaouane and Thiès, Senegal

Project financed under a framework agreement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and by the asbl Diddeleng Hëlleft from the City of Dudelange.

Local partner

Youth and Development (JED) / Scouts and Girl Scouts of Senegal (EEDS) is a development NGO created in 1936, and established in all regions of Senegal, inspired by Scout values, serving young people and the community. Its mission is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the populations, mainly in the field of health, education, socio-economic integration and the environment, by preparing young people in particular for their role of active and responsible citizens in synergy with the Girl Scouts and Scouts of Senegal.Its areas of intervention are:

• youth education,
• the health,
• citizen participation,
• the living environment of vulnerable groups,
• the protection of the environment,
• hygiene, water and sanitation,
• training and microcredit.

The problem

People with disabilities face an organizational and technical deficit, and continue to experience situations of marginalization and exclusion despite the adoption of conventions and laws that are supposed to give them rights to a better quality of life. Many difficulties are identified: difficulties of physical and / or geographical access, teaching difficulties of teachers to take care of these children, lack of capacity of health and physiological accompaniment, difficulty of acceptance of the educational community of the situation of handicap and poor prospects for studies.

Objectives / Activities

The project is to promote the reception and integration of children with disabilities. It aims to respond to the challenges of equal opportunities with the implementation of an inclusive education model in the departments of Tivaouane and Thiès, particularly through sensitization, training, support for children and accompanying parents as well as by fitting out and adapting equipment for the accessibility of schools and centers.Activities set up:

• Realization of an inventory of the situation of children with disabilities and a study on educational offers
• Raising awareness, training and setting up an inclusive educational service (layout for accessibility, development of personalized projects …)
• Health care for children, referral of children with specific health rehabilitation needs to specialized centers, support of children with physical and sexual violence, awareness for the prevention of disabilities and disabling diseases
• Incentive for inclusion at family and community level (awareness through conferences, public awareness sessions, radio show, home visits …)
• Advocacy, women’s literacy, income-generating activities for parents, and socio-educational activities
• Follow-up and capitalization

Beneficiaries

• Direct beneficiaries:
  • 900 children with disabilities and / or high vulnerability and their families
  • 1300 actors in the education sector
  • 180 institutional actors
• Indirect beneficiaries: opinion leaders, members of watch and protection committees and the target population which means more than 10,000 people

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