Arusha, 12 May 2006
— From November 2005 Year 11 students at Braeburn School started their Community Service project at the Step-By-Step Learning Centre based in Njiro. This is a new English Medium Program for nursery, lower primary 1 to 4 and most importantly those with learning disabilities at all stages of development.
On learning that a student at the school was struggling to pay the fees, the Year 11 Braeburn students decided to raise money to pay for one term. Then on a cloudy, wet Friday 28th of April the Year 11 students took the plunge to raise this money. Head prefect Nancy Kimaro presented a cheque for 700,000 /= to Dr Milcah Mrema, a director from the centre.
A special thanks to all the teachers who helped and especially to Karen from year eight who swam at the last minute to make up numbers.
Braeburn also thanks all the sponsors who generously donated their money and Michelle Mrema, a Year 11 student who was a major organiser during the many Friday afternoons given up to help at the centre.
Centre urges for disabled children basic rights
The Masai communities has been urged to stop stigmatizing children born with disabilities in their communities.
The call was made by the director of the Step by Step Learning Center Dr. Milcah Mrema to a group of Masai women from Loliondo, Ngorongoro District in Arusha region on May 19 when they visited her center located at Njiro in Arusha municipality.
The group of the Masai women known as Pastoral Women Council (PWC) is in the city on a study tour to learn how to run business projects. The entourage of 20 women group leaders was introduced to taking care of children with disabilities in their communities by the Step by Step Learning Center.
The group leader, Margaret Laipukoi said they had learnt much from the center and they would start a similar one in their community to help their children with disabilities.
Dr. Mrema said most of the communities tend to hide their children with disabilities and deny them rights enjoyed by other children. “Most of them end up being locked behind the doors and do not get their basic needs like education and medication.
Step by Step Learning Center was established last year in with the a aim of helping children with disabilities. Currently the center is hosting 7 children with mental disabilities. Margret Kenyi is also one of the directors who runs the center.
The Center is using the former Oxfam Offices located at Nanenane show grounds but the management is looking for plot to build a fully -fledged centre to accommodate pupils from nursery to secondary level.
Two weeks ago Braeburn School students donated cash worth Tsh.700,000/= to one of the children at the center, Joseph Mongi aged 12 years old. Joseph is an orphan living with her grandmother in the municipality. The grandmother told the Arusha Times that her grandson cannot walk without her help and he has problems in speaking. She is appealing to well-wishers to assist her in any possible way.