What Happens to the Intellectually Disabled of the Society

By Genevieve Amaechi

Disability comes in various forms both physically and mentally. Those with physical disabilities are easily spotted and generally known with countries making policies that will involve them in the society.

However, those with intellectual disabilities are not always easy to spot. With no obvious outward sign to show their disabilities except with close interactions, these group of persons are mostly ignored in the society.

The World Health Organisation defines intellectual disability to mean “a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information and to learn and apply new skills (impaired intelligence). This results in a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning)”.

This disability is said to have a lasting effect on development and occurs before a child gets to adulthood, before 18 years and sometimes before birth.

The United Nations Development Program has estimated that one in every of the world’s poorest people is intellectually disabled.

Intellectual disability is found in 1 – 3% of the world’s population, which is as many as 200million people, with Nigeria accounting for about 2 million of this number.

Although some do not have the opportunity of having someone to recognise their disability and provide them with needed care or access to required care to help with their development, some are lucky to have such opportunity and even more so, to have organisations and centres with the needed facilities for their care.

Saint Louis Guanella Special School and Rehabilitation Centre, Moniya

Centres such as the Saint Louis Guanella Special School and Rehabilitation Centre, Moniya, Ibadan, Nigeria, helps take care of children who are intellectually disabled.

Saint Louis Guanella Special School and Rehabilitation Centre is run by the Congregation of the Servants of Charity, a religious order in the Catholic Church with locations in Nigeria, Ghana, DRC and Tanzania. The congregation takes care of the physically disabled, street children and the intellectually disabled.

According to The Centre’s portfolio, their mission “is first and foremost the animation of this group of people by promoting their human dignity through psychosocial and agricultural rehabilitation.”

When asked how the school started and its activities, the Priest-in-charge of Agricultural Projects, who also doubles as the Bursar and Director of Clinic Rev. Father Dzungwe Simon Peter says “St Louis Guanella Centre, Moniya was created as an extension of the House of Providence Centre, also run by the Servants of Charity.

“It was created with the intention of relocating the grown-up kids, who have the abilities of acquiring practical skills such as poultry management, piggery, shoe making, crop production, etc.”

According to him, The Centre now takes new students who are mentally challenged, all males and from 15 years old. They currently have 15 students most of whom are from financially poor homes, and some are orphans.

He also said the students’ challenges range from those with down syndrome to other intellectual challenges. They however, do not take students who might be a danger to other students. The Centre takes students regardless of their religious affiliation or social background.

The Students

St Louis Guanella Centre, Moniya takes only young men of ages 15 and above. Currently, the youngest living at The Centre is 21.

With special needs educators available, the students are taught activities, particularly in the Agricultural field, that will help them re-integrate into the society while at the same time able to provide for themselves.

When asked how much students participate in the activities, Father Simon Peter says that at one time when the piggery was functional, they had a student who takes care of the pigs. He voluntarily goes to the piggery and reminds every one of the pigs’ feeding time. He did well enough that he could be trusted to take care of them unsupervised. It was an activity he enjoyed.

Funding

The Centre, according to Fr. Simon Peter, is mainly funded by the Catholic Church, as well as well-meaning individuals and groups, although parents are required to pay a fee for their wards, not all parents are able to afford it.

“Some people come to the Centre to celebrate with the students when they have birthdays. They also bring foodstuff and other items” says Fr. Simon Peter.

He added that “some of the parents of the students sometimes bring foodstuff to help with feeding”.

The Centre welcomes individuals and organisations willing to help the students’ rehabilitation process.

How to recognise an intellectually disabled person?

WebMD.com notes that an intellectually disabled person is limited in his intellectual functioning, having an Intelligent Quotient (IQ) less than 70 to 75 as well as his adaptive behaviours as it relates to the person’s communication skills, interaction with others as well as the ability to take care of oneself such as dressing and feeding oneself.

Although some of the causes of intellectual disability is unknown, known causes include a child being deprived of oxygen during birth, a very premature birth, infections such as meningitis, whooping cough, measles, near drowning and severe head injuries.

Do you know anyone with intellectual disability? Don’t lose hope, St Louis Guanella Centre, Moniya welcomes them.

(info@diamondbead.com.ng)