'Obuntu Bulamu' - Development and Testing of an Indigenous Intervention for Disability Inclusion in Uganda

There is need to learn from indigenous knowledge and concepts when studying disability and inclusion in resource-constrained settings. We describe the development and testing of the `Obuntu bulamu' intervention, a peer-to-peer support disability inclusion intervention, starting from indigenous interpretations of belonging and humanity. `Obuntu bulamu' is an accepted and consistent behaviour that signifies a shared set of values that promote well-being, togetherness, and unity. The intervention was co-created and tested by a team of children, parents, teachers, disability rehabilitation workers, and academics in Uganda. It consists of training sessions, peer support meetings, and activities for children, parents, and teachers around the themes `peer support', `disability', and `belonging'. Through qualitative participatory methods the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention was evaluated with 64 children, 64 parents, and 33 teachers in 10 communities in Wakiso district, Central Uganda.