By Chris Agbo
It was all funfair as Safehost International Inititative/Academy held her 2019 Christmas party, it was a colourful event with a lot of activities which the pupils and their parents participated.
The proprietor of the school, Mrs. Joy Ngozi Belolisa in a welome speech describe the period of Christmas as a period of joy because it is a celebration of the coming of Jesus our Saviour. A period of giving and sharing and the school has called the parents of pupils to come and rejoice with them in the spirit of Christmas. She went further to inform that in the near future, parents and pupils would be going on picnics and the essence of it is to bond families and be happy as families.
The event saw the pupils performed some activities such as bible reading, ballet dance, drama etc. The parents were not left out as some of them participated in Bible reading. Interestingly, children with special needs participate in all these activities.
SafeHost Initiative practice what inclusive school should be. The National Policy on Inclusive Education is a policy of Federal Ministry of Education designed to mainstream persons with disabilities in schools all over the country. It is meant to provide access for persons with disabilities in school. A situation whereby our conventional schools will be equipped with all the disability enabling facilities in order for persons with disabilities to learn alongside others. This policy even though the Ministry has been making effort to implement it, the implementation both in public and private schools have been below average.
Interestingly, Safehost International Initiative/Academy located at Army Estate Phase 2, Kurudu, Abuja provide what even the ministry should emulate if the implementation of the National policy on Inclusive Education is anything to go by. The school is running a successful inclusive education whereby children with disabilities are learning in the same classes with children without disabilities with trained teachers who understands the peculiar needs of the children and guide them accordingly.
The proprietor speaking with The Qualitative Magazine said that her zeal to serve humanity and putting an end to discrimination suffered by children with disabilities and their parents informed her decision to set up this kind of school. Bringing together children with disabilities and children without disabilities together so that they can mingle, understand themselves and become friends which will definitely get rid of the discrimination in the long run. Speaking further, she frowned on parents who are still living in denial about their children condition, there is nothing to be ashamed of. The parents who have been working with the school have understood diagnosis of their children and they take it up from where the school stopped at home. She called on the parents who their children don’t have disability to allow their children enroll in this kind of school to mingle with children with disabilities. They can interact well and in future they will not discriminate against persons with disabilities because they clearly understood them. She appealed to individuals who can afford it to sponsor some of these children especially those who their parents cannot afford the fees. It is expensive to take care of these children.
Mrs. Ify Oguejiofor who is a parent of a child with down syndrome speaking with The Qualitative Magazine said that Safehost is the third school that her child who is 7 years old is attending and it is no doubt the best. Her child who used to wear diapers daily at 7 because he wasn’t conscious of himself is now becoming conscious of himself, he only wear diapers at night and now if he wants anything, he will come to you, hold you and take you to what he want and point at it. For example, if he wants to eat, he will take you to the kitchen and point his food. When he is thirsty, he will take you to where there is water. Before SafeHost, he wasn’t doing these things.
Mrs. Bakoshi also a parent of a child with intellectual disability commended SafeHost for assisting her to understand what is wrong with her child, now the child who don’t used to concentrate, does now and they have even discovered that he is good in numbers (Mathematics). SafeHost is a life saver, they have practically restored our hope on my son. She said.
Mrs. Ngozi Azinkpali, a mother of a child with autism while speaking on her experience about SafeHost in the last year, her son has been with them. My son has improved tremendously and SafeHost is strategic in their approach, other schools we have been to don’t do his special diet, SafeHost accepted that and it has been helpful for the children, he can now concentrate and his motor functions are improving tremendously. She went on to advise parents who are still hiding their children with special needs to bring them out because their skills can be enhanced for the good of the society.
The Qualitative magazine learnt that SafeHost has boarding facilities for boys and girls so they can admit special needs children from everywhere, they have physiotherapists unground to ensure prompt attention to children with special needs and they offer training to their teachers twice weekly to ensure effectiveness in service delivery.
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