Isolation to Inclusion: Zénabou’s Story

ECW, UNICEF & partners are empowering children with disabilities to access inclusive education & reach their full potential in the Central African Republic

By Education Cannot Wait

April 1^st, 2025

Story from the Field. Special Contribution by UNICEF République centrafricaine.

Français Español

Along a dusty street in the town of Bambari, Zénabou, 14, who is deaf and non-speaking, used to watch as other children walked to school each morning.

“I always had the painful experience of seeing the other children go to school with their rucksacks. It was torment because, even though I was burning with a desire to find out what happened in the schools where these children went, I realised very early on that it was a system that wasn't made for me because I was different.” ~Zénabou

For many children with disabilities, the doors to education have remained firmly shut, leaving them with few opportunities and little hope for the future. Yet, across the Central African Republic today, their stories are beginning to change.

Children like Zénabou are finally receiving the adapted support and educational opportunities that they deserve thanks to a new inclusive education pilot initiative. The programme is providing essential resources like learning materials, mobility aids, and specialized classes to learn Braille and sign language; creating a network of community support for families; and integrating children with disabilities into local schools.

This groundbreaking initiative is funded by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the United Nations, and supported by UNICEF, partners like Humanity and Inclusion and national organizations, including the ‘Centre d’Alphabétisation et de Formation en Braille pour les Aveugles en Centrafrique’ and the ‘Association Nationale des Déficients Auditifs de Centrafrique’.

Zénabou sits with classmates in her school in Bambari, Central African Republic. © UNICEF/Testa 2025

A Door Opens

Zénabou sits at the desk in her classroom, workbook in front of her and surrounded by classmates. She smiles as she watches her teacher write something on the blackboard. It might look like an ordinary scene to someone passing by but, to the fourteen-year-old and other children with disabilities like her, this is an extraordinary moment.

Zénabou was born deaf and non-speaking. In a country where a deep-rooted stigma around disabilities exists and has resulted in the exclusion of persons with disabilities in almost every avenue of life, there have been few initiatives aimed at improving access to education for these exceptionally vulnerable children.

Before she enrolled in classes, Zénabou would stay at home most of the day, helping her mom with household chores. Her hours were filled with washing dishes, cleaning clothes and fetching water for her family.

“Going to school was something I'd never hoped for. The day I went to school for the first time, I suddenly realised that I wasn't the only one in this situation. Seeing more than 30 deaf people in the same place was astonishing!” ~Zénabou

Through a multi-year investment from ECW, UNICEF – in partnership with Humanity and Inclusion and local organizations, and with the support of local educational authorities – established specialised classes for deaf and visually impaired children in Bambari within ordinary primary schools. There, children like Zénabou who have often never even stepped foot in school are taught to read, write and count, and learn Braille or sign language. These crucial skills unlock a world of learning for them.

“It's a miracle that a child who cannot speak can now write! It proves that this school brings blessings.” ~Zénabou’s Father

Photo Caption: Zénabou with her father and sister Aziza in Bambari, Central African Republic. ©UNICEF/Testa 2025

Before attending school, Zénabou could barely communicate with those around her. Her parents saw few opportunities for her future. Illiterate themselves, they wanted more for their daughter, but considering her disability, they had no hope. But everything changed when she was given the access, resources and support to learn.

“My daughter Zénabou is now able to assert herself as a person, despite the communication barriers caused by the fact that she is deaf. I'm now optimistic about Zénabou's future – I know she's going to succeed!” ~Zénabou’s Father

Zénabou’s parents are her biggest champions.

Her mother is a member of the National Organisation of Disabled People's Associations. Though not disabled herself, she takes part in meetings to defend the rights of her daughter. It was during one such meeting that she heard about the new learning opportunity for deaf children.

This ECW-funded inclusive education initiative in the Central African Republic is strengthening national organizations such as this one to promote, and build their capacity to advocate for and implement, inclusive education. Another new partnership with the National Association of Hearing-Impaired Persons has supported the adaptation of education for children with hearing impairments in Bambari – and there are plans to further expand this partnership to other prefectures in the country.

Working with organizations that represent persons with disabilities is key to ensuring their participation in decision-making, as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It has also been recognized to be necessary for social change, to promote autonomy and to ensure the empowerment of persons with disabilities.

Zénabou’s mother and father are grateful to now have more support and opportunities in the community to give Zénabou the tools to reach her full potential.

Her 8-year-old sister Aziza, though hearing, attends the same class as Zénabou. Years ago, insecurity in the region kept her from enrolling in school, but now she attends class every day and is learning sign language.

Zénabou holds up her slate, where she’s written “books,” as she sits beside her little sister in Bambari, Central African Republic. © UNICEF/Testa 2025

Education Crisis in CAR

The Central African Republic is one of the toughest places in the world to be a child. Conflict, displacement and instability are undermining efforts for peaceful development, putting children and adolescents at serious risk. Years of violence have contributed to the breakdown of what were already limited services. Access to healthcare, livelihood opportunities and education is very limited or nonexistent in large parts of the country.

Prolonged conflicts have devastated the educational infrastructure, leaving a million children and adolescents out of school. This crisis disproportionately affects children with disabilities, who face compounded barriers to education due to stigma surrounding disabilities and limited access to specialized support.

Addressing these challenges requires concerted efforts to rebuild educational infrastructure, promote inclusive teaching practices and combat societal stigma to ensure that all children have access to an inclusive, quality education.

Fourteen-year-old Zénabou and her classmates warm up before lessons begin in Bambari, Central African Republic. © UNICEF/Testa 2025

ECW in CAR

ECW recently extended its Multi-Year Resilience Programme in the Central African Republic. The programme increases access to a holistic, quality education in protective learning environments, strengthens national and local education systems, and provides targeted support for girls and children with disabilities, like Zénabou. Through the inclusive education pilot initiative, partners like UNICEF are supporting the national government to promote inclusive education and continue to improve access to learning – with one clear goal: to ensure children with disabilities can go on to participate and learn with all their peers in the same learning space.

“Together with our partners, ECW continues streamlining disability inclusion across our investments in education while simultaneously supporting targeted interventions to overcome the specific barriers faced by girls and boys with disabilities in crisis contexts." ~Yasmine Sherif, ECW Director

In 2023, ECW also launched a First Emergency Response (FER) in the country to help address the educational needs arising due to the escalating conflict in neighbouring Sudan. The FER targets refugees as well as the communities that host them, and works to ensure access to quality education services, provides language training and catch-up classes, strengthens protection and mental health and psychosocial support, reinforces educational infrastructure, supports teachers and more.

To date, ECW investments have reached nearly 536,000 crisis-affected children and youth in the Central African Republic with quality education support.

Zénabou holds up her new student card in Bambari, Central African Republic. © UNICEF/Testa 2025

An Adventure Ahead

Having the opportunity to go to school like other children has transformed Zénabou’s life. Today, she feels included and empowered to build a better future for herself.

Her father notes that, at home, she spends hours concentrating on her homework.

“I’m learning a lot. I really enjoy writing because I discover so many things through it.” ~Zénabou

Zénabou's story is a powerful testament to the transformative impact of inclusive education and the incredible potential of children with disabilities when given the opportunity to thrive. As we look ahead, it is clear that much more needs to be done to ensure that all children have access to the education they deserve.

The inclusive education initiative in the Central African Republic is just the beginning, and it is vital that these efforts continue to grow. Global strategic donors and partners must help sustain and expand these programmes, providing crucial resources, support and advocacy for children with disabilities.

By investing in education for all, including those with disabilities, we unlock opportunities for children like Zénabou, empowering them to reach their full potential. Together, we can create a world where every child, regardless of ability, has the chance to succeed.

“I still don't know where this adventure is going to take me... but one thing's for sure: today, I can read, write and count, just like the other children. I can also communicate effectively, thanks to sign language! One day I'd like to work in the humanitarian sector.”

Zénabou writes on the board in her classroom in Bambari, Central African Republic. © UNICEF/Testa 2024

Button Label