Parents with children that are mentally challenged have been asked to ensure they take them to a special school where they can be helped.
Teachers handling the children say there are schools specifically established to ensure such children get the skills needed.
Speaking during the graduation of 20 mentally challenged children at Kapsoya Special School of Mentally Challenged on the outskirts of Eldoret town, the teachers lamented that there are many such children facing stigma due to cultural beliefs.
The school’s headteacher Fredrick Adeya noted that despite government efforts to train special school teachers to handle children with different challenges, the community does not allow them to be enrolled in schools where they can be helped.
“As teachers, we have been given training by the government and we’re ready to help children with mental challenges. It is worrying that parents continue to hide mentally challenged children instead of bringing them to such a school to get skills they need,” Adeya said.
The children graduated with tailoring, farming, carpentry among other skills.
Adeya insisted that parents who have mentally challenged children should allow them to join schools and get skills.
“Parents and caregivers must stop to hide their children that have disabilities and allow them to come out so that the government can plan for them and allocate resources that will facilitate their support,” said the Kapsoya Special School of Mentally Disabled headteacher.