Magali Goes to School—Story and Photos from Dolores Vicencio
Magali, now 10 years old, is in the 4th grade in primary school. When she was younger she very much wanted to go to school— but there were big obstacles.
However, to get into the school there was a big flight of steps.
Local masons built a ramp so Magali can go up the steps. The ramp is quite steep, but there are plenty of people to help her.
With help from Dolores and Liliane Fonds in Holland, she was able to get a wheelchair—made by PROJIMO—with wide wheels adapted for rough terrain.
Then a better answer was found. On one side of the school is a brick wall with a road outside it.
The villagers helped knock a hole in the wall and put in a doorway. So now Magali can get into the school without having to go up the steps or a steep ramp.
At last Magali’s school is wheelchair accessible. But there are still many other obstacles to overcome:
Some children don’t understand Magali’s difficulties and don’t include her in their games. At times they tease her.
A stick tied to her leg gives this girl a pretend disability.
Another problem is the long steep rocky dirt road from Magali’s home to the school.
Fortunately, now that her classmates have made friends with her, they help Magali up the steepest roughest part.
Still another problem was that Magali’s home had steps that made it hard for her to get into and out of the house.
So with help from the family and community they built a ramp so the girl can get in and out of her home more easily.
By playing different "simulation games" the children begin to appreciate a bit of what it’s like to have a disability.
Now that they understand Magali better, they can look for ways to include the disabled girl in their games.
They even experimented with tying poles to her wheelchair so that more children could help transport her at the same time.
Now that many of the physical and social barriers are resolved, Magali is able to go to school and take part in activities with others as an equal.
