Children at Osbaston School have been learning about pupils at St Lucy's School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Kenya through a partnership with Hands Around the World (HATW), a Monmouth-based children’s charity working in countries across Africa and India.

The cross-cultural project was funded by the Welsh Government’s Wales and Africa Grants Scheme, administered by WCVA.

The school link is designed to have a mutually beneficial impact on children in Wales and Kenya alike.

In Kenya, St Lucy’s have received essential IT equipment to help students access the full curriculum, putting them on an equal footing with sighted peers in Kenya.

In Wales, the project helps pupils develop their understanding of disability, diversity and global citizenship.

HATW volunteers Jenny and Catherine who recently visited St Lucy's on a volunteer trip presented a series of lessons to Year 3 pupils in Osbaston.

Of particular interest to the whole class in Osbaston, was how independent the children at St Lucy's are. Despite their disability they make their beds, wash up, wash their clothes and get themselves to lessons on time. The children in Osbaston wondered how a blind child could make their own bed, and so Catherine and Jenny were able to ask this when they visited the school. Upon their return to Monmouth, they showed Osbaston pupils a video of a totally blind child making her top bunk-bed perfectly, happily making it look especially neat as she knew the video was going to be shared with children at Osbaston!

This cross-cultural learning and connection building has been particularly helpful to the children in both countries, and the taught lessons in Osbaston have helped children to see how it is possible to over-come significant challenges.

One of the children in Osbaston said: “These lessons have changed me in a way, because I thought they might need a little more help, but I didn't realise how independent they were.”

Learning about the experiences of children with disabilities also opened discussions about stigma, respect and accepting differences.

One of the children there said, 'we are all equal, and it doesn't matter if you can't see'.

As well as exploring the unique challenges the children in St Lucy’s face, the lessons provided the opportunity to celebrate the successes of children from both schools. In

Kenya, the children loved listening to the Osbaston pupils talking about their school, singing in Welsh and playing the ukelele. In Wales, pupils enjoyed watching the Kenyan children performing elaborate cultural dances and listening to St Lucy’s school choir singing in an impressive four-part harmony.

One of the children in Osbaston said, ‘I think it is great to be in touch with the children at St Lucy’s, because we are both kind schools and we love being in touch with them!’

The school link will continue into the new academic year.

For more information follow the link for Hands Around the World: www.hatw.org.uk