Zambia

The Holy Family Rehabilitation Centre
in Monze, established in 1986, offers
holistic rehabilitation supports and
provides inclusive education services
for people with intellectual, physical,
and sensory disabilities.

Its renowned adult physiotherapy
department aims to restore function,
promote independence, and prevent
or help manage patients’ conditions,
ranging from stroke, multiple sclerosis,
and orthopaedic issues, such as spinal
cord injuries, to a growing number of
diabetes-led amputations.

In the children’s department, special
education teachers, social workers,
nurses, and orthotists/prosthetists help
children with physical and intellectual
disabilities to attain independence,
while also working to combat the
societal challenges that can arise for
disabled children and their caregivers.

Inclusive Education

The Holy Family Rehabilitation Centre, together with a local Parent and Teachers Association, began the construction of an accessible and inclusive primary school in Monze during 2020. The project, unique in southern Zambia, seeks to guarantee access to primary education for boys and girls with and without disabilities and to improve their quality of life in and beyond the home.

The accessible school features well-equipped classrooms, a science lab, a library, and essential facilities, including a kitchen, dining room, offices, and toilets.

It undertakes a variety of other education-focused activities, which include:

• Working with healthcare professionals to develop an education programme for pupils with diverse physical and educational needs.

• Development of a training programme for children who, for a variety of reasons, do not attend school.

• Coordination of support groups for families, and especially mothers of children with disabilities, so that they can play a proactive role in their children’s education.