Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation
The Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation (RSNF) was founded in 2010 in Fort Portal, Uganda, and partnered with Accomplish that same year. The villages where RSNF works are extremely poor, a factor that RSNF addresses through livestock and arable farming, and by teaching disabled adults a profession so they can earn a living.
In RSNF's own words: "The vast majority (80%) of disabled children live in the poorest parts of Kabarole. Poverty is the greatest cause of disability and disability generally leads to even more extreme poverty. We break this vicious circle by empowering children, and their parents, and ensuring they can participate in their communities to the best of their ability.
"RSNF contributes to a world that is open to everyone. Together with partners, we ensure that disabled children and young people get a fair chance. We make them more resilient and their environment more accessible. What we want to achieve is an inclusive society in which disabled children and young people in Fort Portal enjoy equal rights and opportunities."
Healthcare
RSNF works with families to help disabled children manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life, focusing on rehabilitation at home. They work with the physiotherapists and occupational therapists at Kyaninga Child Development Centre, another of our partners. RSNF visits families regularly to encourage them and make sure their children are receiving the best care.
Agriculture
Since 2015, Accomplish has been working with RSNF to provide tools, seeds and animals for families with disabled children. By growing crops or keeping pigs, families can feed themselves, as well as producing surplus vegetables or meat to sell. The project is sustainable because each family must donate a piglet or seeds to another family.
Careers
RSNF runs a vocational training centre where deaf and disabled young people learn hairdressing, tailoring or knitting alongside business skills. When the students graduate, Accomplish provides professional equipment such as sewing machines to enable them to start work. Over 90% of the school's recent graduates are in work.