Seven years ago, Susan began her journey at the Read for Rose Special Education Program. As a young girl with a hearing impairment, and due to the limited availability of special needs resources in her community, she had not yet developed literacy skills or a structured way to communicate. She was scared, isolated, and unsure of where her mother was taking her when they stepped through the doors of the Amos Youth Centre (AYC). Today, that girl is thriving. She now communicates fluently in Zambian Sign Language, writes her thoughts with confidence, knits beautiful doormats, and dreams of opening her own shop one day.

In Zambia, only a small minority of students have access to technology in education. For many students in communities like Kafue, a tablet is not a learning tool; it is an unfamiliar object, something seen from a distance but never held. The digital gap is real, and for children already navigating poverty, limited resources, and overcrowded classrooms, it widens every year.

It’s graduation day at Read for Rose, the Amos Youth Centre’s Special Education Program. Forty students ages 5-24 wait patiently as the six Read for Rose Special Education Program Teachers hand out certificates such as “best green thumb”, “most selfless and brave”, and, “youngest reader”. Every child is recognized for their unique skills and the improvements they’ve made in their education and learning over the last year.

Acceptance, particularly regarding disabilities, often feels like an unreachable dream. The story of Wisdom, a young boy in our Read for Rose Special Education Program, and his mother, Thelma, brings to light a subject that is known all too well by our specially-abled students and their families: discrimination.