Fun walk teaches pupils about disability

MANY parents still hide their kids who are living with disabilities as they are ashamed of them.

They lock them in their homes, preventing them from playing with other kids and being seen outside.

To raise awareness, pupils at Maladuma Primary School at Ga-Sekgopo Village outside Modjadjiskloof in Limpopo held a 3km fun walk to promote a culture of inclusion, acceptance, and support for persons living with disabilities and celebrate diversity.

They walked from the school on Saturday, 7 September to the Sekgopo Drop-In Centre, which looks after poor kids and orphans, including kids living with disabilities.

School principal, Jack Segwapa said they also wanted to encourage parents to let their kids feel free to associate and play with other kids at all times.

"Even though our school caters mostly for normal pupils, we saw it fit to organise the fun walk for persons living with disabilities so we can teach our pupils and villagers that disabled people are also humans and need love," Segwapa said.

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He said the aim was to promote a culture of inclusion, acceptance, and support for persons living with disabilities and to celebrate diversity.

"We would like to see other parents being proud of their disabled kids because they didn't choose to be born this way. They must always make them feel free and happy," he said.

Segwapa added that they wanted to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and cultivate a culture of empathy, understanding, and support for people living with disabilities.

"We were also sending a message of mental and physical well-being to our pupils and the community at large because walking is not only good for kids' bodies, but also for their minds and mood."

Pupil, Tumelo Mohale (11) said she has learned a lot about people living with disabilities.

"I now know that they need to be loved and treated with respect. The fun walk taught us a lot about disabled people which I'll also share with my friends," Tumelo said.