Umbilini started offering arts and crafts classes in 2019 at Dorna Center Home in Kampala, Uganda. Dorna Center Home is a school for children with autism, down’s syndrome & special educational needs. I started offering 1 weekly class for 32 children. They learned drawing, painting and pottery making. Our team tailor-makes each class to improve fine motor skills, concentration and self esteem. The goal is to offer a fun and relaxed atmosphere for the children to creatively express themselves and learn new skills. Every week they become more and more confident and recommend projects they would like try like making a “Bakuli” a clay bowl or paint pottery with the colors of the Ugandan flag.
In Uganda children with special needs are discriminated against and kept at home because their families feel ashamed to have a child with special need. They often don’t go to school, they stay at home and do the daily chores and are often abused mentally, physically & emotionally because they are seen as a burden to the family because they are not able to achieve anything like get a job to contribute to the families needs. Sadly they would rather spend the little money they have on their other children who might be able to support the family when they are older.
In 2024, there are more schools in Uganda for children with autism & special educational needs. The schools are raising awareness and encouraging parents to send their children to school. Unfortunately the schools usually have no funding or just enough to be able to hire teachers for math & english so the children hardly get a chance to learn arts and crafts.
Umbilini raises funds for the weekly classes from workshops and events in Uganda & Scotland, UK. In October we were able to restart the weekly classes at Dorna Center Home. Every Wednesday we offer a class in the morning for the younger kids and another in the afternoon for the older kids. We teach jewellery making, painting, drawing and pottery making. It’s the joy on the children’s faces when they finish a bracelet or paint a Christmas card for their parents that make realise what the classes mean to the kids. We are so grateful for each and everyone who has supported this cause and helped us to continue offering classes and work hard to reach out to more children in Uganda.
Support Us By:
Booking a class, workshop or event
Buying art and crafts from www.umbilini.org/shop
Arts for Autism is a heart based movement to share the joy of creative self expression with all. We believe that every child is an artist and all children should have the opportunity to explore their imagination.
Umbilini will teach drawing, painting, jewellery & pottery making to 30 girls and boys with special education needs and disabilities at the Dorna home for Auitism in Kampala, Uganda.
The classes are designed to:
Develop fine motor skills
Hand eye coordination
Enhance self worth and self esteem
Reduce stress
Encourage sociability & creative self expression
Your donation will buy materials, pay for firings & pay instructors for the classes.
About Fatima Garelnabi
