Better future for special children
Big plans for learners' development
The introduction of the greenhouse and aquaponics at the Dagbreek School for children with special needs is the beginning of a planned urban farm and training centre.Upon completion of the project, children will be trained according to their skills and interests, which will make a big difference in their future.
According to Ndunge Iiyambo, a teacher at the school, there are only two schools for children with special needs in Namibia, and both are in Windhoek.
"The two schools provide for all the children in the entire country. The demand for placement is unimaginable. Every day, parents arrive here with tears in their eyes looking for a place for their child. We don't have room in our hostel either. It's heartbreaking, but we go on and work with what we have," she said.
The school currently houses 155 pupils and 28 boarders.
According to Dagbreek's principal, Paul du Plessis, more schools for children with special needs must be built in the regions. "Education must be taken to the pupils. We need more schools and facilities for children with special needs in the regions. This is why we are planning the urban farm and training centre so that it can be used as a model for other facilities nationwide."
The school's horticulture project forms part of the curriculum.
"Only about 10 per cent of our pupils get a job after leaving school. We want to implement courses that equip more pupils with skills so they can get a job after school," he said.
The urban farm will be designed by perma-growers with a grey water system and nursery, using different gardening methods, such as aquaponics, hydroponics, beds, planting in the ground and seed beds.
The centre will open many doors to various training opportunities, including gardening, merchandising, hospitality, cooking, catering, laundry, car washing and recycling. It will also include a shop, restaurant with an outdoor tea garden where children with special needs will receive training.
