Forgotten children of Manguzi to get a book that talks of their rights to education
● Sandile Mlambo has never been inside a classroom and is largely exiled to his family’s homestead in Manguzi in northern KwaZuluNatal. He spends his days with his gogo, helping her gather the palm fronds which will eventually be woven into baskets to be sent to Durban.
Mlambo, 22, is deaf and due to a dearth of special schools — as well as teachers to staff them — he has never been able to get an education.
But a “talking book” championed by education lobby group Section27 — powered by a built-in solar panel — will literally speak to uneducated parents and guide them through their rights and those of their disabled children concerning access to education.
Section27 spokesperson Nontsikelelo Mpulo said the talking book would augment their efforts in Manguzi and the greater district of uMkhanyakude, on the border with Mozambique.
The book provides information in English and Zulu about which rights are applicable to children, and informs parents, teachers and activists about the channels through which they can make their voices heard.
Mpulo said: “We would produce the book to educate the community and work with locally based organisations to distribute it and monitor its usage.”
It is being introduced at public meetings with school governing bodies next week. Mpulo explained how it works.
“The book comprises audio files that talk through the content … making it ideal for users who have intellectual disabilities or those who are visually impaired or unable to read.
“We believe that we will be able to use this tool to empower communities across the country to advocate for the rights of their children to access basic education,” she said.
Mlambo is one of Manguzi’s forgotten children, his age now precluding him from any hope of a formal education.
According to an education department report released in November 2015, there could be as many as 182,153 children with disabilities
This will ensure that children with disabilities will not be forgotten and left behind
Nontsikelelo Mpulo
in KwaZulu-Natal between the ages of five and 18, of which as many as 137,889 may not be getting any schooling.
His grandmother recalls that when he was approaching schoolgoing age, doctors established that he was hearing impaired. Attempts to get him into a special school — even one as far away as Nkandla, some 250km away — were unsuccessful.
The introduction of the “talking book” might come too late for Mlambo, but Section27 said it hoped it would prevent others from meeting the same fate.
“This will ensure that children with disabilities will not be forgotten and left behind,” said Mpulo.