By Margaret Kenyi | Founder and Executive Director, SSLC
INTRODUCTION: This report will summarize the main achievements of SSLC in 2025 with emphasis on the period from January to May 2025 vis-a-vis our Vision, Mission and Goals. The main focus of this period was to complete construction of an Adult Program Centre (APC) as the first major step in the implementation of SSLC’s Vision 2024: a road map to sustainability. This vision was launched in January 2024.
MISSION STATEMENT
SSLC’s mission is to promote the physical, intellectual, psychological and social development of each child through a holistic educational provision in an inclusive, empathetic, respectful, positive and stimulating environment so that special needs students and their families feel safe, accepted and loved. Staff use child-centered training and learning methods to encourage all children, including those having severe disabilities, to reach their maximum potential.
VISION STATEMENT
SSLC aims to grow its capacity to provide a safe and stimulating learning and working environment for mentally and severely physically challenged students for as long as they need such support to progressively improve and learn appropriate Life and Employment skills in order to achieve a degree of independence and dignity.
MAIN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
1. Forty young students (age 6 to 17) with mental and physical challenges will access appropriate education, life skills training and appropriate therapy.
2. Twenty young adults (over 18) with mental and physical challenges will get training in Job skills and thereafter employment, income, self-esteem, confidence and emotional empowerment.
3. Six Income Generating Projects (IGPs) will receive enough input to become viable, self-sustainable and a significant contribution to SSLC’s income and vulnerable young adults’ employment and livelihood.
4. Fourteen Staff will receive support to provide compassionate, high quality holistic teaching, training and therapy to SSLC students.
5. The East African region will look to SSLC as a model of care, quality education and exemplary mentorship.
6. Drawing an Individual Learning Program (ILP) for each student with input from his/her parents or guardians, then setting goals for each student
7. Conducting one on one, Hand over hand, Experiential - hands on teaching and training the young students in basic functional literacy and life skills
8. Providing professional therapies (Physiotherapy, Reflexology, Occupational Therapy and Speech Training plus Music, Dance, Art and Crafts.
9. Training and mentoring young adults on the job in the Income Generating Projects (IGPs): jewelry making from beads; gardening and Livestock keeping of cows, sheep, chicken and bees.
10. Expanding the IGPs and professionalizing the job skills to make the projects financially viable and sustainable.
11. Providing administrative and support services to the program.
12. Collaborating with parents, community leaders and other similar programs in order to advocate for the rights of the disabled and sell the SSLC model.
13. Participating in advocacy activities like International Autism, Down Syndrome. Cerebral Palsy and Disability days.
14. Raising funds from various sources to keep SSLC running
MAIN ACTIVITIES
For this period, the main activities centred around students and completion of APC.
STAKEHOLDERS: With addition of one more adult student, SSLC impact increased to a total number of 362 stakeholders. These were active project participants and beneficiaries (196 females and 166 males). They included students, staff, parents, guardians, caregivers, local and international partner organizations. A further unknown number of people were impacted by word of mouth around SSLC's local community and internationally through social media Facebook and LinkedIn.
JUNIOR CORE PROGRAM (AGES 3 TO 17)
The Junior Program maintained full capacity with 20 students. They had varying degrees of physical and mental challenges: 9 with autism, 6 cerebral palsy, 2 Downs syndrome, 1 Hydrocephalus, 1 epileptic and 1 slow learner. Attendance remained steady and good in semester 1 and now in semester 2 as well. Over 80% of the students were able to attend school 80% and above. Some of the students attended over 90 percent.
Staff reviewed 2024 Individual Learning Programs (ILPs) and set new goals for each student for 2025. They continued to pursue the goals set for each student in consultation with parents and caregivers. They urged them to continue collaborating with SSLC to speed up the progress of their children. Each parent/caregiver took home a laminated ILP for their child to do whatever they can do from home.
With APC in usable state and the old block evacuated, we gained four extra classroom spaces ready to gradually enroll 20 more young students, hopefully all paying or sponsored so we can employ 4 more teachers to maintain our ideal ratio of 5 students to a teacher.
SSLC OUTREACH SERVICES (S.O.S)
We modified the 2020 COVID-19 Home Based Program (HBP) into a model that will make it more appealing to parents and caregivers who can pay but have not found suitable schools or programs for their children. A professional therapy room is now ready for use in the newly constructed Adult Program Centre (APC). We will be offering Physiotherapy, Reflexology, Occupational Therapy and Speech Training. Offering these paid for services will not only double up as an additional source of income for SSLC but spread and multiply the impact of SSLC into the community.
ADULT PROGRAM (AGES 18 AND ABOVE)
From January to May, SSLC’s Adult Program enrolled one more vulnerable young adult to bring the total to 11 students. She was from the public school system where she had made very little progress. Thye parents regretted why they had never heard about SSLC!
We were not only delighted and awed by the spacious workshop in APC, but excited by the potential it has brought for expansion into training our students in new employment skills.
Four of the students are autistic, 2 with cerebral palsy, 2 Down’s syndrome, 2 slow learners and 1 hydrocephalus. All of these students attended school regularly, except one autistic girl who is having challenges with insomnia and a Down Syndrome boy with serious family circumstances.
The impact of learning and gaining employment skills on the job in our Income Generating Projects (IGPs) in a safe and positive environment continued to be enormous on these young adults. We have observed improvements in their self esteem, confidence and purpose as they participate in these creative and enjoyable activities. They came up with beautiful new products now displayed in the spacious shop in the new building. We hope this will attract more customers to shop so we generate additional good income for them and SSLC. We are also hoping to start new employment skills training in Catering and Food Processing in our new beautiful space.
ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY IMPACT
We continued to advocate for disability rights and services this period targeting clinics and hospitals. A dental clinic offered to run a dental bootcamp on International Oral Hygiene Day at SSLC to minimise fears. It went very well with students watching and encouraging each other to brave it out! Now we have a dental baseline for all our students. We are hoping this will encourage other doctors to volunteer their services as well.
We also enjoyed Parent's Day at the end of semester one! Kids were delighted to see their parents/caregivers at school and show off their work. It was encouraging to discuss the kids' progress and listen to parents' positive testimonials.
INFRASTRUCTURE
We made great progress in the completion of the Adult Program Centre, APC. By the end of May, the ceiling board, floors, plumbing and wiring were done making APC even more usable.
SOCIAL MEDIA
SSLC maintained its over five thousand combined social media contacts, friends and followers mainly on Facebook and LinkedIn. These are valuable links for selling our vision, mission, goals, activities and projects.
DONORS
It was delightful to welcome two representatives from The Providence Foundation who came to visit SSLC and see the progress of APC. They were so impressed and blessed that they took a good report back. The Providence Foundation has since given more funds to complete APC. We are truly grateful to them and many other friends and supporters of SSLC.
PARTNERS
We were happy to maintain our formal Global Hope Partnership with Accessible Hope International (AHI) - our much needed Fiscal Sponsor and ambassador to the International world. EduAfrica - a unique tour company hosting education professionals continued to be our other valued partner. GlobalGiving remained our reliable platform for fundraising and getting noticed by an international audience.
SUSTAINABILITY
We continued to pursue the bold move we took from January 2024 to launch SSLC’s Vision 2024: a Road map to Sustainability outlined below:
WHAT?
WHY?
HOW?
1. Income Generating Projects (IGPs) workshop for training adult students in jewelry making, tailoring, weaving and other employment skills but at the same time raising income for supporting SSLC and creating livelihood for the students
2. A display shop for selling IGPs products to raise income and livelihood
3. A modern kitchen and dining hall cum circle time/social area but also for training the adult students cooking and waiter/waitress skills. At the same time, they will sell their training products: popular snacks, drinks and food for income and livelihood.
4. A modern professional Therapy Room where the teachers and volunteer professionals offer therapy to non-enrolled but paying students
1. A daycare room for all young children (three years and below) with and without disabilities
2. A preschool class for youngsters (age 4 and 5) with and without disabilities
3. A grade one/primary one class for youngsters (age 6) with and without disabilities
WHEN?
Starting January 2024 as funding allows with the Adult Program Centre:
1. Phase 1: Foundation and floor slab
2. Phase 2: Walls, roofing, doors and windows
3. Phase 3: Move in to free two currently occupied classrooms for enrolment of new 20 young (age 6 to 17) paying/sponsored students for the Junior Program and 10 young vulnerable adults (age 18 and above) for the Adult Program – thus doubling SSLC’s capacity by increasing access to education and training, and impact in the community.
4. Phase 4: Complete with wiring, plumbing, painting and furnishings as funding is available
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