Disabled children meet hero Johanna Benson

Learners from TrainOccasion meet their hero, Johanna Benson.

Six disabled school children met their hero, gold and silver Paralympic medalist Johanna Benson at Otjiwarongo’s Superspar on 21 September.

The children attend TrainOccasion, a brand new special needs school that was founded at Otjiwarongo this year. TrainOccasion, an inclusive needs help centre, affiliated with the special needs network in Namibia, is a small centre which looks after the needs of children who are mentally or physically disabled.

For them, the opportunity to Johanna Benson, who has overcome the odds to rake in world fame with her athletic prowess, proved to be an immense occasion in their lives.

“It’s so important to show our and other learners that success is possible. Whether you have a handicap or not. With self discipline and support from home and from school, you can achieve so much, you can win”, Jenny Koestel, the founder and trainer at TrainOccasion explained.

At the moment she and her staff educate and care for children who live with autism spectrum disorders, down syndrome, dyspraxia, dyslexia, epilepsy, rubinstein maybe syndrome and ADHD.

Proud to be Namibian.

At TrainOccasion, children are taught using international teaching methods which include picture exchange, floor time, communication systems and other methods.

According to Koestel, TrainOccasion was founded in response to a huge need for such a centre in the Otjozondjupa region.

“Here learners with a severe handicap or learning disabilities can learn togehter in a safe and familiar environment”, Koestel said.

She noted that even children who just need a push in the right direction can attend the centre for a number of months, and then reintegrate into their schools of origin.

At the moment the school has a paid staff of two, and is supported by one or two volunteers from Germany.

While the school invites any parent of a child with a learning, emotional, physical or mental disability to join, one of the school’s primary focus’s is not to exceed the 1:4 trainer learner ration.

Meeting Johanna Benson, proved a key lesson for the newly enrolled learners.

Playtime at TrainOccasion

For more information, contact Jenny Koestel at 081 3222 481 or send an email to trainoccasion@gmail.com.

You can also visit their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TrainOccasion?fref=ts

Or their website at http://train-occasion.webs.com