Somaliland Association for Special Education

Luqada Somaliga

Background | Vision & Mission | Survey | Activities | HSSN | Partners | Donate

Address:

SASE
Pepsi Road
Hargeisa
Somaliland

Telephone:

+252 2 525406
+252 2 4418302
+252 2 4411161

E-mail:
contact@sase-sl.org
Background

In Somaliland it has been a traditional and accepted belief that children with disabilities are useless. The children have often been labeled with bad names like "fools, idiots, morons, and na’as", and are treated as someone with less value than the "normal" children.
Especially mentally handicapped children and adults are considered of many to have no rights to basic things like freedom, learning, work opportunities and decision making.

Many children in Somaliland with mentally handicaps are hidden inside the houses, or even chained, because of the traditional beliefs that say that handicap is a punishment and something to be ashamed of. Parents will hide or tie their children because they don't see any other options for the child, and they don't know what else to do. Some parents have even separated because of their disabled child trying to escape the public condemnation.

Somali Association for Special Education - SASE, is running Hargeisa School for Special Needs Education. This school is addressing the needs of the mentally handicapped children, and has since 2001 been offering special needs education for these children in Hargeisa through a day care school programme that rehabilitates and gives the children individual educational training.
Many of these children, who had no opportunity to learn before, have now changed into happier and socially interactive individuals, and their parents have through awareness learned, that there is a future for their children.

Today the public attitude towards the mentally handicapped children, their right to exist and to learn have started to change, but there is still a long way to go to change the general public attitude towards the mental handicaps and other disabilities in the country. SASE is having a big task ahead of them, advocating for the rights and potential of these children and promoting special needs education in Somaliland.

Download video presentation here (207 MB)

Exceptional children can understand as mush as you Removing a chain from a boy at the school

Somali Association for Special Education
SASE is a local non-profit and non-political organization composed mainly from parents with handicapped children, adolescents and adults, special need education teachers, ministry of education and other community members. The organization was developed through the activities at Hargeisa School for Special Needs. The school was started as a EU funded project in 2001 implemented by International Aid Services. The project was phased out on July 31st 2007.

SASE was registered as an organization in 2005 and started its operations in 2006. SASE has a head quarter in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland (former North-West Somalia).

SASE is the only organization that cares mentally handicapped children of Somaliland there is no other Local NGOs who in any form assists those disadvantaged children who lives in poor and war ravaged country.


		Luqada Somaliga Background \| Vision & Mission \| Survey \| Activities \| HSSN \| Partners \| Donate
	Address: SASE Pepsi Road Hargeisa Somaliland Telephone: +252 2 525406 +252 2 4418302 +252 2 4411161 E-mail: contact@sase-sl.org	Background In Somaliland it has been a traditional and accepted belief that children with disabilities are useless. The children have often been labeled with bad names like "fools, idiots, morons, and na’as", and are treated as someone with less value than the "normal" children. Especially mentally handicapped children and adults are considered of many to have no rights to basic things like freedom, learning, work opportunities and decision making. Many children in Somaliland with mentally handicaps are hidden inside the houses, or even chained, because of the traditional beliefs that say that handicap is a punishment and something to be ashamed of. Parents will hide or tie their children because they don't see any other options for the child, and they don't know what else to do. Some parents have even separated because of their disabled child trying to escape the public condemnation. Somali Association for Special Education - SASE, is running Hargeisa School for Special Needs Education. This school is addressing the needs of the mentally handicapped children, and has since 2001 been offering special needs education for these children in Hargeisa through a day care school programme that rehabilitates and gives the children individual educational training. Many of these children, who had no opportunity to learn before, have now changed into happier and socially interactive individuals, and their parents have through awareness learned, that there is a future for their children. Today the public attitude towards the mentally handicapped children, their right to exist and to learn have started to change, but there is still a long way to go to change the general public attitude towards the mental handicaps and other disabilities in the country. SASE is having a big task ahead of them, advocating for the rights and potential of these children and promoting special needs education in Somaliland. Download video presentation here (207 MB) Somali Association for Special Education SASE is a local non-profit and non-political organization composed mainly from parents with handicapped children, adolescents and adults, special need education teachers, ministry of education and other community members. The organization was developed through the activities at Hargeisa School for Special Needs. The school was started as a EU funded project in 2001 implemented by International Aid Services. The project was phased out on July 31st 2007. SASE was registered as an organization in 2005 and started its operations in 2006. SASE has a head quarter in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland (former North-West Somalia). SASE is the only organization that cares mentally handicapped children of Somaliland there is no other Local NGOs who in any form assists those disadvantaged children who lives in poor and war ravaged country.