A Right To Learn
Photographer
In many rural communities throughout Tanzania, children are not afforded the opportunity to go to school and get an education. This is especially true for the physically disabled population.
Due to excess fluoride in the drinking water, there are still many children who become physically disabled as they go through puberty. These disabilities can include skeletal fluorosis, a debilitating bone disease caused by too much ingested fluoride and pronounced through irregular bone growth and calcification of the joints. This can lead to bent bones and even the inability to walk.
These physical disabilities can then oftentimes lead to discrimination amongst peers and even family members, especially among rural communities who still sometimes believe that being physically disabled is a curse. There are two primary schools in Tanzania that seek to give these physically disabled children an education.
At Faraja Primary School for physically disabled children, the students are afflicted with various disabilities - but all are given a chance at a better life through an education.
