These children in coast have despised their disability and proved their ability through farming.
Over and over again, people abled differently have proven they can prosper in areas as disparate as sports, education and employment.
Now, picture a young girl who was born without the lower part of her hands. She cannot hold a pen to write or do other things that a normal person can do.
But Bahati Atieno, a pupil at Port Reitz School for the Physically Disabled, does not only take part in class activities but also does farming in the school’s farmyard.
Bahati is a member of the 4K Club. This is an agricultural forum based on the philosophy of ‘Kuungana, Kufanya, Kusaidia Kenya’ (Coming together to act in order to help Kenya).
Bahati is determined, focused and bright. She holds the jembe using part of her half upper limbs. Slowly but surely, she makes progress in digging the field to prepare a seedbed for sukuma wiki.
Mary Kiswili, the matron, is full of praise for her industry. “She is an active member of this club,” Kiswili says. “Her disability does not hinder her from taking part in our day-to-day activities. She might be slow in doing her things at the field, but eventually, she does everything perfectly.”
Kiswili, a Grade 3 teacher at the school, has been the 4K Club matron for three years. She joined the school in 2015.
Bahati is joined in the field by Saida Ridhwani and Redge Munai. The two can only walk with the help of crutches. They cannot stand on their own without artificial aid, but they are good farmers.
Saida, a class eight pupil at the school, has only one leg, and when digging the field, one of the crutches is placed as a leg to support her.
“I have been a member of the 4K Club since class three,” she says cheerfully, as she rests the jembe on the ground to speak. She hails from Kwale county.
“Many people have neglected agriculture. They think you need acres and acres of land to become a farmer, but here we have been taught we can do kitchen gardens at the back of our houses or balcony or even do poultry and keep rabbits,” she says, with a keen sense of agricultural matters.
Kiswili, the matron, says the school has a population of about 230. Half the students are children with different disabilities — deaf, dumb, crippled, mentally challenged — but they are learning in an integrated manner with those who are normal.
The government decided to have the children learn together in an integrated manner so the children learn from each other.