Eisa Mahanna School
Unlocking children with disabilities
The Eisa Mahanna School, located on Elgezira Aba — a large island in the White Nile about 300 kilometers south of Khartoum — provides free education to children with disabilities.
The school is named after Eisa Mahanna, a former Secretary of State for Sudan’s Ministry of Education, who established over 100 schools in the 1980s but was unable to secure an education for his own son, who was born with a brain defect and was unable to speak.
In 2000, Eisa’s daughter, Hanadi Eisa, a psychologist, pledged to fulfill her father’s dream by creating a school for children like her brother. Despite a lack of resources and societal stigma against educating children with disabilities, Hanadi’s determination turned that dream into a reality.
A vision against the odds
For years, Hanadi searched tirelessly for funding from local families in Elgezira Aba, but many parents saw no value in schooling children with disabilities.
In 2009, opportunity knocked when she was offered vacant —but supposedly haunted —teachers’ quarters at Imam Elmahdi University. Undeterred, she used her entire salary to refurbish the building.
Transporting students to school posed another challenge. Hanadi persuaded the university to lend her an old, rusted van, which was refurbished with the help of the local police chief. ‘I bought the glass, wheels, and tires myself,’ Hanadi recalls. Eventually, the university reclaimed the van, forcing her to make new plans.
Determined to take things further, Hanadi moved to Saudi Arabia to save money. After nine years, she returned with enough funds to purchase land and start construction on a permanent school—entirely self-funded. A donation from Saudi Arabia enabled her to complete the classrooms.
Making education accessible
In 2019, the Eisa Mahanna School opened its doors, offering hope to families of children with physical and mental disabilities. The school currently educates about 30 students, with a headmistress, paid by the Ministry of Education, and a team of qualified teachers who volunteer their time. These teachers don’t just teach; they actively visit homes in the community, encouraging parents to enroll their children.
Volunteer Zahra highlights the school’s transformative impact: ‘Many students arrived timid and unsure of themselves. Now, they walk proudly, just like other children, excited to go to school.’
The older students have gained practical skills as well. Two alumni have already found employment—one as a rope bed braider and the other assisting a carpenter. A nearby mosque gives another student the opportunity to occasionally lead the call to prayer, while a pupil with a physical disability is preparing for Sudan’s national exams for the blind.
How you can help
The Education East Africa Foundation supports the school by funding transport, which ensures children can attend classes. However, limited funding prevents the school from extending transport services to reach children in more remote areas.
You can help change that. With a small monthly or one-off donation, you can enable more children to access life-changing education. As the saying goes, every little bit helps. Your support could make a world of difference.