In Zambia an estimated 15 per cent of the population lives with a disability (WHO), and people with disabilities are disproportionately concentrated in low-resource townships, where access to basic services is already limited. Ng’ombe, a township in Lusaka home to roughly 120,000 people living in poverty, is one such area. Mainstream government schools there offer few facilities for including children with disabilities, and private schools that do are financially out of reach for most families.
Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood – Bringing Inclusive Education to Children with Disabilities in Ng’ombe
It was into this gap that the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM) established the Little Assisi Special Needs School and Day Centre in 2005, to serve marginalised children with disabilities who had no alternative access to education. The school supports children aged 1–15 with conditions including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, Down syndrome, and sight, hearing and speech impairments, providing day care and education in the mornings and life skills training for teenagers in the afternoons.
For two decades, Little Assisi operated out of a small building where space was severely limited: only 35 of the 65 registered children could be accommodated at any one time, pupils of all ages and needs were taught together in a single class, and no rehabilitation therapy could be offered. The school’s small size also restricted its access to government grant funding, compounding the barriers already faced by children with disabilities in a community where stigma often leads families to hide their children away.
The original home of the Little Assisi School – space restrictions limited the number of students that could be on site at any one time, and the facility had little outdoor area for recreation and sport.
Envisioning a New Campus in Ng’ombe
With funding and support from Misean Cara, FMDM recently purchased a larger site in Ng’ombe and built a new, fully accessible school, doubling on-site capacity to 120 children. The new facility includes five classrooms, a skills room, computer lab, occupational and physiotherapy rooms, counselling rooms, a safeguarding office, administrative offices, and a multipurpose hall, alongside spacious outdoor areas for play and physical education.
The Opening of the New School – A Happy Day for Students, Staff and Families
The school extension officially opened on 26 May 2026, attended by government officials, clergy, and Misean Cara representatives. Sr Kay O’Neill, Mission Director of Little Assisi School, said:
“We are pleased that with so many people’s help and support this project was brought to completion. The children are now in their new classrooms and have space to play in so they are very happy.”
Thanks to this partnership, more children with disabilities in Ng’ombe now have access to the education, therapy and inclusive environment they need to reach their full potential.
