The British School of Kampala (BSK) community will take to the streets on November 21 to help deaf children get a safer place to learn and the skills to build independent lives.
Money raised at the eighth edition of the BSK Community Run will go to Mulago School for the Deaf. It will help the school improve security, develop vocational training and widen opportunities for its learners.
The run brings together learners, parents, teachers and the public behind one message: deafness should not decide how far a child can go.
Prossie Wanyana, the deputy headteacher at Mulago School for the Deaf, says the partnership “offers an opportunity to address practical needs while challenging the attitudes that continue to limit opportunities for people with disabilities.”
The school teaches learners from nursery to Primary Seven. Its first priority is a perimeter fence to make the school more secure.
Its ambitions go beyond the classroom, however. Once deaf learners leave school, they often face limited access to further education, few job openings and negative attitudes.
The school therefore plans to strengthen vocational training, such as hairdressing and tailoring, alongside academic lessons. Wanyana notes that not every learner will go on to secondary school, so practical skills can offer another way to earn a living.
“We believe in making them independent,” she says.
Inclusion also depends on the wider community. Staff use sign language with learners, but few people outside the school gates can do the same. That makes everyday life harder for deaf children, who may struggle to express their needs or take part in community life.
To bridge the gap, the school runs free sign language lessons every Friday for parents and members of the public.
For BSK, the annual run has become a tradition that combines exercise with giving back. It also teaches learners generosity, empathy and collective action.
Secondary School Ambassador Tessa Kassaga, a prefect who grew up in the BSK community, says the event means a lot to her. She hopes siblings, friends and parents will turn out in large numbers.
“I feel good that people are doing this,” she says.
The public can support the cause by joining the run, buying a T-shirt at Shs30,000 before the event, or contributing in other ways.
Runners will count kilometres and finish lines. The real measure will be a safer school, stronger vocational training and better communication between deaf learners and the community around them.