Water Blogged

N’nyapule Madai of Tanzania Visits H2O for Life and White Bear Lake Special Education Teachers

On April 20, 2018, H2O for Life hosted a visit from Mr. N’nyapule Madai.  Mr. Madai is a Humphrey Fellow and the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Leadership Award from the University of MN for his work in developing a Special Olympics program for students with disabilities in Tanzania.  Special Education teachers from White Bear Lake Schools were invited to a round-table discussion where we had the opportunity to share experiences with special needs students and learn about Mr. Madai’s successful efforts to address the needs of these students in his native country.  Through his efforts, Special Olympics has grown from humble beginnings to become a nationally and internationally recognized program that benefits youth who previously had very few equitable opportunities in the communities and schools. It was very informative to compare the education models for this population of students in the United States and in Tanzania, where education resources as well as basic resources such as access to clean water are quite limited.  Mr. Madai is quite an inspirational and dedicated individual who has made a difference in the lives of so many through youth education and engagement.

Teachers in attendance:
Kathleen Daniels – Director of Student Support Services WBLAS
Becky Mullaly – Supervisor Special Education Services WBLAS
Lisa Ouren – Supervisor Special Education Services WBLAS
Shirley Volk – Assistant Special Education Director of Lakes International Language Academy, Forest Lake