Sabata Mokalee is a student at Molefi Secondary School and is visually impaired. Just like any other young person, Mokalee, has dreams and would like to be a neurologist someday.
Speaking recently at the International Day of the Girl Child organised by UNICEF at the Ramotswa Centre for Deaf Education, she pointed out that living with disabilities is not easy. Mokalee said, for instance, her privacy is compromised because when consulting a medical health practitioner, her medical card and medicines are not written in braille.
“Due to my medical card and medicines written in print, I do not have privacy.
“I have to rely on someone to read to me what is written on the card.
“It is high time our cards are written in braille so that we do not have to depend on people to read them for us.
“We deserve to have some privacy.
“Medications are also not written in braille, only a few, and therefore we have to ask someone to read how much medicine to take and how many times a day we have to take it.
“My sickness and medicines should be my privacy.”
Her troubles do not end there. When Mokalee goes to school, the difference between her experience and that of other students becomes very clear.
“The other challenge I face is navigating through the school. In order to navigate in school, one has to be independent but at the same time, the school is not safe for us.
“In many instances, we bump into open windows and tables and chairs are always left in corridors.
“Sometimes you will find that some of them are broken and they end up injuring us,” she said.
Mokalee says in their classes, not all teachers cater for visually impaired students. For instance, a science teacher may not be able to teach using braille, whilst the subject has too many diagrams making it hard for visually impaired students to comprehend what she or he is teaching.
Mokalee recalls how challenging it was when one teacher who was not trained to teach visually impaired persons was drawing diagrams on the chalkboard. Those students who could see were at an advantage over the visually impaired.
Mokalee suggested that schools must start hiring teacher’s aids who are trained to teach visually impaired students.
“Even when I am home it is challenging because when I am given homework, my parents cannot help because they do not know how to use braille.
“Navigating at home is also difficult because parents are always too conscious.
“They are always afraid that we would hit something and get injured. They do not allow us to be independent.
“This is going to make our lives hard when transitioning into tertiary school life since we would not be by their side every day.
“How am I going to manage when I have not practiced independence?”
She continued: “Our parents are over protective and need to be equipped on how to let us be.
“I wanted to be a neurologist but I know would need an assistant.
“My second option is to be a teacher and I also would like to be an advocate for the rights of girls and people with disabilities.
“Some of my friends want to be teachers, doctors and so on.”
Pearl Mmolai is a student at Ramotswa Junior Secondary School with a hearing impairment. She uses sign language and through a translator, said her biggest challenge is the communication barrier. She said most of the people do not know how to communicate in sign language. Just like Mokalee, getting health services assistance is hard.
“If I go to the doctor asking for assistance, the doctor does not know sign language.
“I have to write on the paper and sometimes I have to write in Setswana that can also be a challenge.
“In terms of medication, I sometimes do not hear how to take my medicines and what they are for.
“In my family, there is communication barrier because they communicate with the voice and I would be just sitting there. We need support because some of us want to be doctors like myself,” she said.
Agnes Masuge, a mother to a child with cerebral palsy and also a caregiver, says it is not easy being a working mother of a child with disability. Even though her child is 17 years old, Masuge said she had to do everything for her like bathing and taking her to school every day. She added that living in Gabane, fuel was expensive and commuting from the village to Ramotswa and back every day was also exhausting.
“I have to use an off road to avoid traffic every day,” she said.
“This is very challenging because fuel is expensive and therefore sometimes, I fail to take my child to school.
“Our children are vulnerable so asking someone else to transport them is risky because children are being abused.
“I tried it but had to stop and do it myself.
“My husband also helps take her home but it is also tiring for the child as my child is always tired. “At times I feel depressed and fatigued because I have to take care of this child and she has other siblings.
“I have to bathe her every morning then get ready for work.”
Masuge also said she could not attend family functions due to her child’s disability. She revealed that even though there was discrimination here and there, she did not let that affect her and remained focused on her children. However, she pointed out that she was prepared to take care of her daughter as she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth and therefore, as a mother, she had researched, learnt and prepared for her in time. She called for assistance with fuel and disability grant to help offload her financial burden.
A representative from the Botswana Council for the Disabled, Gotlhe Hamilton, said as the Council, they recognise that a girl child is at risk and under threat in society. He added that a girl child is prone to domestic, sexual and human rights abuses which is why the Council is very much involved in trying to bring to light issues that exist.
He pointed out that girls with disabilities at school face challenges such as access to education and transportation. He added that in most schools, there is no provision for schools to provide access to gain education, progress in their academic life and journey.
“I acknowledge and recognise that there are challenges that have existed for a long time that the girl child faces.
“I believe the society forgets the girl child.
“The government is doing everything it can to address gaps that exist,” he said.
Hamilton said Botswana had enacted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2021.
“This is a testament that strides are been made to care for people with disabilities and the girl child is also included,” he stated.
