"To see children with disabilities and their families celebrating their lives really changes the narrative"

During his trip to Rwanda, Eddie Ndopu visited HI’s inclusive education projects in two different schools and met some truly inspiring disabled children. He shared his story with them and his dream of being the first wheelchair user to go to space.

Eddie met with HI's dedicated staff who do their best to ensure that no disabled child is left behind and that every child can access school and receive the attention, care and equipment they need. Eddie also met with inspiring children with disabilities such as Oliver, who is featured in the video below.

"It was so inspiring watching Olivier’s father dance with him, it moved me because what this says is there is more to disability than exclusion, than isolation, there is more than neglect."

"To see children with disabilities and their families experience joy and celebrating their lives really changes the narrative, challenges preconceptions about what we think the lives of people with disability is about."

Eddie also visited other projects run by HI in Rwanda focusing on psychological support, rehabilitation care and economic empowerment for vulnerable people including people with disabilities, single mothers and refugees.

About Eddie Ndopu

Eddie Ndopu became HI UK’s global ambassador in 2018. Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at birth, Eddie became the first African with a disability to graduate from Oxford University and is now an internationally acclaimed, award winning activist and humanitarian from South Africa. Eddie is planning to join forces with the United Nations on a ground-breaking campaign to address the UN General Assembly from the edge of the planet, as the first wheelchair-user in Space. Through a live broadcast from outer space to the UN Headquarters, Eddie seeks to advocate for the 32 million children with disabilities in the world who are not able to access education.

Read Eddie's interview about his Rwanda trip