Africa-Press – Uganda. The Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF) Alumni Network of Uganda has launched a Shs 100 million Accessibility Fund to support the Kampala School for the Physically Handicapped (KSPH), Uganda’s only institution that integrates education, medical rehabilitation, and vocational training for children with physical and intellectual disabilities.
Announced ahead of the July 18 Mandela Day celebrations, this year themed “Building hope: one future at a time”, the campaign aims to tackle major infrastructure challenges at KSPH while providing essential learning materials, therapy support, and mobility tools for the school’s 180 pupils.
Don Patrick Bugingo, President of the MWF Alumni Network of Uganda, said the fund is a call to action for inclusive development.
“KSPH has done an incredible job for decades, but it now urgently needs support to continue its life-changing work,” Bugingo said. “Through this campaign, we are saying no child should be left behind simply because they live with a disability.”
Established in 1969, KSPH has long served as a model for inclusive education. However, it now faces urgent needs ranging from dilapidated classroom blocks and hazardous asbestos roofing to limited accessible spaces and outdated learning and therapy equipment.
The Accessibility Fund will focus on rehabilitating classrooms and the school library, removing asbestos roofing, expanding accessible infrastructure, providing assistive learning and mobility devices, repairing the school’s hydrotherapy van, and supporting art therapy, literacy, and other holistic learning programs.
The campaign draws inspiration from Victo Nalule, a 2019 Mandela Washington Fellow and former KSPH student, who now leads the Tunaweza Foundation. Her journey is being used to showcase the transformative impact of inclusive education. “Victo’s journey shows that disability is not inability,” Bugingo added.
“When children are provided the right environment and support, they can thrive and contribute meaningfully to society.”
The #Build4KSPH campaign has attracted a coalition of supporters including the U.S. Mission in Uganda, South African High Commission, Mandela Group of Companies, Crown Beverages Ltd (Pepsi), The Nnabagereka Development Foundation, Reach a Hand Uganda, Read to Learn Foundation, Nelson Mandela Foundation, and Faces Up Uganda.
The MWF Alumni Network is calling on individuals, businesses, civil society organisations, diplomatic missions, and government agencies to contribute to the fund and attend the Mandela Day commemoration at KSPH on July 18.
“Together, we can ensure that every child regardless of ability has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive in a safe and inclusive environment,” Bugingo emphasised.
Joyce Mwesigwa, Director of KSPH, appealed to the public and potential donors to support children with disabilities who are increasingly dropping out due to economic hardship.
She revealed that enrolment has fallen from 198 pupils before the Covid-19 pandemic to just 130 in 2025.
Many children, she said, are not attending any school at all, not due to lack of space but because families cannot afford basic school-related expenses.
Robin Kibuuka, a trustee with CEO Summit Uganda, praised the MWF alumni for leading this initiative.
“The initiative to launch the Accessibility Fund for KSPH is not only timely it is a deeply meaningful tribute to the enduring legacy of Nelson Mandela,” Kibuuka said. “Mandela reminds us that real leadership is about service, and true impact is measured by how we lift the most vulnerable among us.”
He noted that inclusion should not be viewed as charity but as a matter of justice, aligning with the campaign’s focus on dignity, access, and opportunity for all children.
CEO Summit Uganda has mobilised its communications platforms and engaged media partners like Next Media to amplify the campaign’s message.
“We have mobilised our internal platforms, social media, newsletters, and executive networks to ensure the story of KSPH reaches the forefront of corporate leadership,” Kibuuka added.
He called on Uganda’s private sector and civil society to support the campaign through funding, in-kind contributions, or volunteerism. “Mandela once said, ‘It’s in your hands.’ This moment calls for action. Not just support, but to show up and be counted,” he said.
Emmanuel Ssekitto Kalule, founder of Faces Up Uganda, said his organisation’s support extends beyond a single day.
“We’re not just here for Mandela Day. We’re here to support KSPH in building structured art programs that help children express themselves, heal, and grow,” Kalule said. “Art gives these young people a chance to not only rehabilitate but to participate actively in their own development.”
As part of the Mandela Day celebrations, a symbolic mural will be painted at the school to commemorate Mandela’s legacy. Students will also take part in guided art sessions to promote healing through creative expression.
Kalule confirmed that Faces Up Uganda will continue providing art materials and facilitating sessions beyond July 18 to ensure consistent access to creative therapy.
“This initiative is bigger than the Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni. It’s a human responsibility,” he said. “We’re planting a seed of growth that will enrich our nation’s future.”
The art therapy project is an integral part of the larger Shs100 million Accessibility Fund led by the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Network of Uganda, focused on rehabilitating classrooms, ramps, and transport services for more than 180 children with physical disabilities.
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