School for the blind opens in Galmudug state

The school which opened Monday will provide support and training to blind people in Galmudug state. Photo: courtesy

Blind people in Galmudug can now access specialised education and support to enable them carry on with their daily lives with ease thanks to a new school-Galmudug School for the Blind.

The school located in Adado town which opened its doors Monday becomes the first of a kind in the region and is expected to provide much needed professional support for blind students to pursue their studies and favorably compete with their abled peers.

Sponsored by the Constituency office of Senator Abshir Bukhari who is also the first deputy speaker of the Senate, the school Monday donated white canes to blind people in the area and trained them on how to use.

Adado district commissioner Abdullahi Abdirahman Hussein hailed the opening of the school and pledged his administration’s support to create public awareness for many people to benefit from the facility.

“I want to encourage the local people in the area that these blind people will receive today white canes to distinguish them from the other people. So I want people to help them when they cross the streets. We shall take part in the awareness campaign,” said Hussein.

Omar Abdisalam Dirie, a teacher in the school said blind people needed to be supported to access education so that they can build their own lives and be self -dependent.

“What these people need is not handouts but they need awareness and education so that they can be part of mainstream of the society and to be independent. It is a program whose brainchild is our senator Abshir.”

Senator Bukhari said the school was part of his constituency office social services noting the school would be instrumental in enabling blind people handle their daily live with ease. “I am honoured to support the blind in Galmudug and ease the challenges they face in their daily lives.”

The chairperson for association of blind people in Adado Abdi Hassan Mohamed said the school was practical solution to challenges faced by blind people.

“Giving charity to them is not a big thing but education will help them. It will make them self-sufficient. Without education, they will be a burden to the society. We express our gratitude to Senator Abshir Bukhari. He is really the first person to open our eyes for us literally” Mohamed said.