Alio Assoumane (left), in charge of inclusive education in Maradi, Niger. He is accompanied in this photo by Mahamadou Abdoulaye, a child with disabilities supported by the inclusive education project in Maradi. | © J. Labeur / HI
Alio Assoumane works in the field of inclusive education in Niger. He describes the national context and the efforts made to promote the inclusion of children with disabilities in schools.
Alio Assoumane (left), in charge of inclusive education in Maradi, Niger. He is accompanied in this photo by Mahamadou Abdoulaye, a child with disabilities supported by the inclusive education project in Maradi. | © J. Labeur / HI
Alio Assoumane, 50, has been working for HI for the past 4 years as an inclusive education officer in Maradi, Niger. Passionate about education from an early age, he has worked in this sector throughout his career. Alio first worked as a primary school teacher for ten years, before specializing in the sociology of education to become a teacher trainer at the teacher training college in Maradi. His professional experience and expertise now inform his work at HI.
In recent years, the security situation in the Maradi region of southern Niger has deteriorated, with serious consequences for the education sector. Many schools have had to close because of security concerns and population displacements. At the same time, a raft of reforms has been introduced, which is sometimes difficult for teachers and parents to adapt to.
In this context, there are additional challenges for children with disabilities, who also have to contend with prejudice, both within the community and, in some cases, within the teaching profession. As a teacher, Alio witnessed systematic discrimination by some of his colleagues when enrolling children with disabilities in school. Lacking training in inclusive teaching practices, they perceived the presence of disabled pupils in their classrooms as an additional burden.
"The weight of tradition means few children with disabilities go to school. Before the inclusive education project began in Maradi in 2017, even talking about the education of a child with disabilities was something of a "miracle". Many people thought that children with disabilities had no place in school. Thank God, today we are seeing real progress," says Alio, with satisfaction.
In recent years, thanks to curriculum reform in Niger, the issue of disability has been incorporated into teacher training. As a result, young teachers now have specific skills to meet the learning needs of children with disabilities.
Alio is also pleased to see the government taking steps to improve the accessibility of schools by incorporating access ramps at the earliest stages of construction projects. However, much more financial investment is needed to enable a growing number of children with disabilities to access education.
"Some obstacles do not come from the children themselves, but from institutional, medical or financial barriers. Obtaining specific teaching materials to meet the needs of a child with disabilities is often a challenge. These materials are not available on the local market or are not available in sufficient quantities. Funding in this area is woefully inadequate," explains Alio.
Alio has noticed a change in the community’s attitude toward children with disabilities. He is also delighted to see a change in behavior among the parents of children with disabilities, who are now enrolling their children in school. This is largely thanks to a massive awareness campaign run by HI on television, radio and social media, as well as to recreational activities organized between children with and without disabilities.
“Children with disabilities are now very well integrated in the classroom. They are welcomed both by their peers and by the education community as a whole."
Among the many children with disabilities he has supported, Alio remembers one in particular. Mahamadou Abdoulaye was born with a rare disability. The context in which Mahamadou grew up was not an easy one. His physical appearance frightened the other children, and sometimes even the teachers. With the support of HI and the help of awareness-raising activities, Mahamadou is now accepted by those around him. He is friends with all his classmates. No one is afraid of him anymore.
"I have been very impressed by the way Mahamadou has fought to overcome the barriers in his way. It's very motivating. But we still have a long way to go to ensure that all children with disabilities can access their right to education."
HI's socio-economic inclusion and inclusive education project in Niger is deployed in three regions (Niamey, Maradi and Tahoua). Since its rollout in 2017 in Maradi, the project has provided more than 80 schools with adapted teaching and learning materials, identified nearly 5,000 children with disabilities for personalized support, and trained almost 600 teachers of inclusive education, sign language and Braille. In addition, 380 parents have been informed about deafness and introduced to sign language, and almost 50,000 parents and community members have been made aware of and trained in disability and inclusive education. A further 260 people from the public services and the professional world have been shown how to include people with disabilities in the workplace. Finally, 35 education advisers have been trained and 200 young people with disabilities have benefited from adapted vocational training.
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