PROJECT to Empower Adolescent Girls to Continue Studies (KAGIS), implemented in the regions of Geita and Kigoma, has now decided to turn to a group of people with disabilities to raise them through sports.

The KAGIS project is implemented by the Rafiki Social Development Organization (RAFIKI SDO) in collaboration with Plan International under the funding of the Canadian government (Global Affairs Canada).

KAGIS Project Officer from RAFIKI SDO, Sabatho Simon has explained this in a football game between students with special needs and those without special needs played at Mbagani Primary School in Geita.

He has said that the participation of children with special needs in sports will help shape the development of inclusive education and encourage the children to have the opportunity to show their talents outside of classroom education.

"The goal of involving them in these games is because these disabled people are the parents of the coming years, so we are preparing them so that they feel that they are members of the community and can also have families," he said.

He has said that through sports it will also help to improve the health of children with disabilities and to attach a campaign to encourage parents to send their girls to school to be compatible with the inclusion of the disabled.

Geita Town Council Social Welfare Officer, Cathbert Byabato has said that the council has one school for children with disabilities and six other schools provide education for the disabled through an integrated system.

"Here at the Mbungani center there are children with mental health challenges, physically challenged children, there are children with skin challenges, there are people with asthma, deaf and visually impaired children.

"We continue to give emphasis to parents and guardians to recognize people with special needs or disabilities as having the same opportunities as children who do not have special needs," he said.

A student with special needs at Mbungani Primary School, James Andrea said through sports, KAGIS has made them see themselves and they have a chance to compete and show their talents.