Aboom Special Needs School

One of the most interesting teaching experiences we had was teaching at the Aboom Special Needs School.

There are 2 classes of students, the primary class and secondary class. We spent two days at the school. The first day we taught hand washing and the second day we taught tooth brushing and dental hygiene. The kids were all amazing and were so excited to learn how to do the tasks and each one wanted to demonstrate to the other students. Here are some of the students practicing:

The issues with special needs in Ghana is that it has a very negative outlook. These individuals have been considered to be the product of witchcraft. Individuals who are mental unstable are deemed mad and many are abandoned by there families. A large proportion end up as homeless on the street which lead to further scorn from the population. Tamale (the major city in the north central area) is currently running a campaign to prevent abuse of disabled people, which says a lot about their current treatment. The Aboom school is a haven for these students and provided basic education as well as training. These students are taught basic sewing and trade skills so that they can be employed later in life! This school is changing the stigma and outcome a few kids at a time. It was a blessing to meet each one of these kids and spend our morning with them!