Disability Inclusion is one of Brass for Africa’s strategic 4-Key Pillars. It is all about understanding the relationship between the way people function and the way they participate in society and making sure everybody has the same opportunities to participate in every aspect of life to the best of their abilities and desires based on their capabilities and needs.
In many countries across sub-Saharan Africa, many children and young people with disabilities are more likely than others to experience negative socio-economic outcomes such as being denied their rights to participate in public activities or being seen as a burden by their families. As such, Brass for Africa is working in partnership with locally-led organisations that support, care and advocate for children and young people with disabilities. These partners include:
- Dorna Centre Home For Autism; This is an organisation dedicated to supporting children with Autism and their families. The Centre provides education and therapeutic services to children living with Autism.
- Teens and Tots Neurodevelopment Centre; This supports children who have Neurodevelopment disorders.
- Special Children Special People: This is a community-based organisation dedicated to rehabilitating, advocating and empowering children with disabilities with an aim of preparing them for inclusive education.
- Good Shepherd Home: This was started up by the Missionaries of the Poor and it supports children and young people with disabilities and orphans. Most of the children at this home have physical and mental disabilities.
Brass for Africa contributes to the objectives of our partners by offering twice-weekly music and life skills training sessions, focusing on amplifying the voices of people with disabilities. The feedback we receive from leaders and members is that many of these children have improved in essential life-skillos following the sessions, and this appreciation is reflected through their feedback:
Kisitu Sarah Kasule the founder of the Teens and Tots: “Before the coming of Brass For Africa to this Centre, the children used to have low self-esteem and confidence because we had not given them the opportunities to come out. But through the Brass For Africa sessions, many of them have shown great improvement by standing out in a big audience and playing their band and singing. The children have also been able to perform two functions, one last year which involved the minister of the disability and earlier this year on the Autism day and they were able to stand as a team and perform their music to the audience showing people that much as we have disorders, does not mean we do not have the abilities They have also learnt how to follow the rhythm, produce sounds out of the instruments they use, socialise, transition, and communication skills because they are now able to communicate to one another both in music and in other ways, they have also improved their speaking skills because as they learn how to play the instruments, they also sing along and this has enabled them to articulate some words.”
Uwimana Adeline grew up in Good Shepherd Home and is now taking care of the disabled children at the centre: “The music itself is enjoyable, and whenever these children are playing it, they feel joy! Through life skills, their self-esteem has improved, and according to Esther, one of the orphans at the Centre, music through brass band has enabled her to learn new skills, get connections, and through life skills training, is able to communicate with the people at the centre in the right way, her concentration skills have improved and as a result, she now gets better results at school.”
Sseruwu Francis Kisakye, one of the leaders at Special Children Special People: “Through music and life skills, these children have learnt how to concentrate, and associate with one another because before they used to isolate and the different talents in them have been discovered especially those in line with the music.”
