By. Sr. Sarah Julu Yimbian
Established on 28 July 2021 by the Medical Mission Sisters following a request from the local
community, the centre was founded to address the lack of access to education in Ang’iya village.
Many children had been staying at home because they were too young to cross the river to the
nearest school, their families could not afford the costs, or they were considered too weak to
learn.
Four years later, the centre has grown from 50 children in Playgroup to 150 learners from
Playgroup to Grade 3, with plans to introduce Grade 4 next year. Half of the learners are girls,
while many come from vulnerable backgrounds, including orphans raised by grandparents,
children living with HIV, children from families unable to provide breakfast, and children living
with disabilities.
Among these learners is seven-year-old Pius, whose experience illustrates the importance of
inclusive education in promoting dignity and livelihood empowerment.
Pius lives with sickle cell disease, which causes frequent pain and fatigue, as well as a physical
disability that makes walking and standing difficult. For two years, he remained at home
watching his elder brother leave for school each morning.
“I used to carry him on my back when he wanted to go and play with other children,” his father
recalls.
A casual worker with limited financial resources, Pius’s father had thought his son would have to
remain at home because he could not afford to take him to a special school far away.
However, the establishment of Anna Dengel Education Centre in their village changed the
situation. He enrolled both his sons, and through the assistance of the Medical Mission Sisters,
Pius received a wheelchair that enables him to attend school daily.
“Life is easier now. Through the assistance of the Medical Mission Sisters, Pius got a wheelchair.
I bring him every day. I help him, but I want him to learn to write, to count, to have his own
future. I don’t want people to say he is only a sick child. He is a learner,” his father says.
For Sister Gaudencia Nafula Wanyonyi, the Medical Mission Sister who initiated the centre,
providing education to children regardless of their circumstances has been central to the school’s
mission.
“We opened because the community asked us. They said, ‘Our children have no school.’ When
we started, we had 50 children in playgroup. Now we are 150, from Playgroup to Grade 3, and
by God’s grace we are looking forward to Grade 4 next year,” she says.
She explains that many children come from families experiencing financial difficulties, with
some arriving at school without breakfast. To address this need, the centre introduced breakfast
at 9.30 a.m. and lunch at 12.30 p.m.
“But the most important thing we said from day one: we will not choose which child deserves
education. We will ask, ‘What does this child need to be in class?’ For Pius, the answer was a
wheelchair, and through our Sisters we were able to assist the family to get it,” Sister Gaudencia
says.
This commitment to inclusion is also reflected in the work of Sister Jackline Adhiambo, a
teacher and Medical Mission Sister who has taught in the area for years.
She recalls that children with disabilities were often kept at home because their parents feared
stigma. At Anna Dengel Education Centre, however, children are encouraged to understand that
disability does not prevent a person from learning and participating in society.
“Before, I used to see children with disabilities hidden at home. Parents feared stigma. At Anna
Dengel, we teach the children that disability is not inability,” Sister Jackline says.
She explains that Pius participates in classroom activities, raises his hand and sings alongside his
classmates. The other children have learned to push his wheelchair and wait for him, creating an
environment where he is accepted and included.
“When Pius is in class, he is just Pius. He raises his hand. He sings. The other children have
learned to push his wheelchair, to wait for him. They do not laugh at him. They learn equality.
For me as a teacher and a Sister, that is education. And that is also livelihood,” she says.
According to Sister Jackline, access to education gives children such as Pius an opportunity to
acquire the knowledge and skills they may need to become independent in the future.
“Because if Pius stays in school from Playgroup to Grade 1 and beyond, if he learns to read and
write well, tomorrow he can learn a trade, he can do business, he can speak for himself. Without
school, what livelihood will he have?” she asks.
In Ang’iya, where families depend on small-scale farming and fishing, education is viewed as a
pathway towards reducing dependency and creating opportunities for a better future. For girls,
access to education offers the possibility of avoiding early marriage and developing the
confidence and skills to lead. For children with disabilities, it provides an opportunity to acquire
skills and contribute to their communities.
The school’s commitment to inclusion is visible during the morning parade. The children stand in
a large circle rather than a perfect military line, with Pius positioned among his friends instead of
being left at the edge.
The circle brings together girls who previously had to walk long distances and cross a river to
reach another school, orphans, children living with HIV who have found friendship without
stigma, and children with disabilities. All 150 learners, from the youngest in Playgroup to the
oldest in Grade 3, participate together.
For Mama Atieno Ochieng’, a grandmother with two granddaughters at the centre and a parent
representative, the school has also improved access to education for girls in the village.
“Before this school, our girls suffered. They walked far, they feared the river, they feared boda
boda men on the road. Many parents kept girls at home. Now school is here, near our homes. My
granddaughters are safe. They eat at school. They are learning up to Grade 3 now, and we are
praying for Grade 4 next year so they continue here,” she says.
She encourages other parents to support their daughters’ education, noting that it can help them
develop independence and have a voice in society.
“I tell my neighbours, an educated girl will not suffer tomorrow. She will have her own money,
her own voice,” Mama Atieno says.
For Pius, the opportunity to attend school has given him a chance to participate in activities
alongside his peers. Although he does not speak much, he expresses his enjoyment of school
through two simple statements.
When asked what he likes most about school, he smiles shyly while holding his father’s hand.
“I like writing. And parade with my friends,” he says.
His words reflect the importance of access to education for a child who previously remained at
home while his brother went to school.
When the morning parade ends, the children break into small groups and head to their
classrooms. Some run, others walk, while Pius moves in his red wheelchair as his father waves
from the gate.
At Anna Dengel Education Centre, inclusive education is presented not as an additional activity
but as an essential part of preparing children for their future livelihoods. By providing access to
learning for girls, children living with HIV, orphans and children with disabilities, the centre
seeks to ensure that vulnerable learners have the opportunity to learn, belong and pursue a future
in which they can earn a living with dignity.
For Pius, the routine will continue the following morning. His father will help him into his
wheelchair, Sister Jackline will call his name in class, and his friends will wait for him at the
parade.
As the school continues to grow and prepares to introduce Grade 4 next year, Pius and his
classmates are building their futures one lesson, one friendship and one day at a time.