Raising the bar on inclusion in community development

Students learning the alphabet in sign language at the Mudula Primary School.

Inclusion is deeply rooted in WEEMA’s community-led development work in Ethiopia. But what does inclusion exactly mean and how do organizations achieve it in their everyday practices, whether in Ethiopia, Bangladesh or Indonesia?

Last month, WEEMA joined global development experts in Washington DC to examine the growing focus on inclusion, and challenges and lessons that can be learned as more NGOs, governments and philanthropic groups make it a bigger priority. The conference, Social Accountability and the Challenge of Inclusion, was organized by the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA), a seven-year-old coalition that includes 300 organizations.

Among the key takeaways from the conference:

Meaning: Inclusion is focusing on the most marginalized populations who have historically been left behind, including children (especially girls), women, older people and people with disabilities. WEEMA is keenly focused on all of these groups, whether by launching hundreds of Self-Help Groups for more than 2,000 women or providing first-ever primary school access for dozens of children with disabilities.

Giving Voice: Inclusion is about listening to marginalized groups and doing so in ways that give them power and confidence. Too often, solutions are developed without those voices being heard. In the case of education projects, students and their parents should have input – a practice WEEMA follows. “Where are the children themselves? Do they get a chance to (provide feedback)? If not, why not?” said Marinke Van Riet, a director at Voice, a Dutch grant facility that supports marginalized and discriminated people in Africa and Asia.

Framing Matters: In engaging with marginalized groups, avoid making them feel like “beneficiaries” who are poor and powerless. Instead they should be made to feel empowered and mobilized. One speaker captured the sentiment this way: “The question we should ask is, ‘What are your struggles?’ not, ‘How do we reduce your poverty?” said Flavia Milano, Team Leader, Citizen Engagement Policy and Strategy at the Inter-American Development Bank.

Instilling Trust: Marginalized groups are long accustomed to promises that are not kept. To build buy-in, NGOs and governments must meet their commitments and hold themselves accountable. WEEMA has made accountability a key priority in all of its projects. “When you say you’ll come back in two weeks and you come back in two weeks, it builds trust. It gives them more reason to help on projects,” said Charity Komujjurizi, Project Coordinator of the African Freedom Information Centre in Uganda.

All of these insights above align with key pillars of the Movement for Community-Led Development, a group of 64 global organizations, including WEEMA, that participated at last month’s conference. Co-founder John Coonrod expressed optimism that community-led development - and inclusion - are getting far more attention compared to a decade ago.

“Until 2012, this work didn’t even have a name,” Coonrod said, referring to community-led development.

A New Beginning

A new beginning for 30 students with disabilities

Exciting news! Tembaro’s first inclusive education program is up and running at Mudula Primary School and more than 30 children with disabilities – a mix of boys and girls – are enrolled. All are attending school for the first time now that the teachers and the classrooms can support their learning.

The opening marks the culmination of an extraordinary effort involving community leaders, the local government, teachers, parents, and students – all with a shared vision of giving children with disabilities the same educational opportunities as other children. The Tembaro District has 39 primary schools, but until last month, none were accessible to children with disabilities.

The year-long effort included awareness-raising sessions with local stakeholders about the challenges that children with disabilities face and the wide-ranging benefits of giving them more opportunities – starting with a formal primary education. WEEMA also helped train staff to teach in sign language and support other special needs. The school was also outfitted with wheelchairs,  entrance ramps, special furniture, and other resources to help students who are blind and deaf. 

What a transformation we’ve seen! During a recent visit to the school, English teacher Aleme Wochato was using sign language to teach students the alphabet. A half-dozen students were enthusiastically waving their hands to show what they had learned. In another room, environmental science teacher Alemitu Aweno was using sign language to teach first graders about animals in Ethiopia.

Teachers were especially delighted with the big changes afoot. “Before this year, none of the schools had teachers trained in education methodologies for engaging children with disabilities,” Wochato said. “Now, with support from WEEMA, teachers are trained in the Braille alphabet, sign language, and other skills.  

Judging from their smiles and eager participation in classes as you can see in the photo below, students are also excited about the school’s transformation.

Inclusive education for Ethiopia’s children

Mudula Primary School teachers being trained on sign language in advance of Monday's school opening

First-Ever Educational Opportunities for the Disabled

There are 39 primary schools in the Tembaro District and none of them has ever been open and accessible to children with disabilities. As a result, thousands of young disabled children in the district have no formal opportunities to learn in school, engage with other children, and thrive as they grow older – a situation that will propel most of them towards a life of isolation and poverty.

On Monday, we will start to change this story. As part of WEEMA’s commitment to people with disabilities, we have outfitted the district’s first school, the Mudula Primary School, with wheelchairs, an entrance ramp, classroom resources, and a trained staff who can teach in sign language and support other special needs. More than 30 disabled children – a mix of boys and girls – are registered to attend. All will be entering school for the first time.

This historic moment is the result of a concerted community effort. Teachers, principals, community groups, the government sector office, parent associations, and even the children themselves have all been involved at every step in designing and executing the project – the first of what we hope will be many schools in the district providing access to disabled students.

Ethiopia has an estimated 15 million people with disabilities – 17 percent of the population – and most of them live in rural areas. These populations encounter many disadvantages and are often subject to stigma and discrimination. They are also disproportionately poorer and are largely excluded from political and civil processes that could give them a voice.

Last year we launched a program to empower children with disabilities and build positive attitudes across the entire community. Mudula Primary School, the largest in Tembaro, was chosen as our first target school.

We started the two-year project by holding awareness-raising sessions with all of the stakeholders. Next, we trained teachers and staff on inclusive education. The final step was making the physical improvements, including leveling the land around the school and equipping the classrooms with special furniture. Montessori materials, an abacus, and braille paper are also being provided. To make sure we got everything right, all of the disabled students recently visited the school to see the improvements firsthand and provide feedback.

On Monday, it all becomes real. With nervousness and excitement, more than 30 disabled children will enter the school as full-fledged students for the first time. Next week we will share photos of their first day.