This week has seen the admission of a pupil at the Aquinoe Learning Centre.
Nothing unusual about that at the beginning of a term, you might think.
Perhaps not, but this pupil (M) is paralysed from the waist down and has been refused entry to several schools due to being in a wheelchair.
The story starts off as a sad one.
At the age of twelve she contracted malaria and was taken to a local clinic. She was given an injection, but this had an adverse affect on some nerves and within a few days her legs were paralysed.
She started a physiotherapy course at home, and improved a little, but the treatment was expensive and eventually her parents could not afford it any more, so M deteriorated.
She could no longer go to school and started to have home tuition, but was very lonely, especially as her four siblings were enjoying themselves at school.
Her father Googled to see if there might be a school in Kenya that would admit her. He came across this charity website and emailed the trustees.
This is where the good news starts.
The Director of the school, Josphat Shaduma, assessed M and was happy to admit her to the Aquinoe Learning Centre. She can use her wheelchair on the tiled areas of the school and can access physiotherapy treatment at the school, as well as learning with others in a classroom.
The parents were very emotional when M started at the beginning of the week as they had almost given up hoping for a placement for their daughter.
