Community Based Rehabilitation
Yousif, a 4-year-old diagnosed with spina bifida, lay curled up in the corner of the living room floor. The doctors had told his family to give up hope—he was disabled and would remain that way for the rest of his life. To make matters worse, some relatives insulted Yousif, calling him degrading names like “idiot” and “stupid.” His family was desperate for help and hope.
Their dream was to see him walk and attend school, but for the first four years of his life, Yousif had only been able to crawl. In alignment with Operation Mercy’s principles, a physical therapist spoke to Yousif about his value and worth. The entire family was moved to tears, as they had never encountered a doctor who treated their son with such dignity and respect.
Over the course of several weeks of therapy, the family’s entire outlook changed. As Yousif progressed through his exercises, he made significant improvements in his range of motion and mobility. He could now pull himself to stand, walk on his knees, and strengthen his legs in preparation for an upcoming surgery. This surgery will correct deformities in his feet caused by a lack of early therapy and education.
To increase his independence and curiosity about different forms of mobility—especially outside the home—we provided Yousif with a wheelchair until his surgery, after which the focus will shift to walking. This new form of mobility gave him a sense of freedom and inspired him to explore new ways of moving around the house, including attempts at walking.
His family now engages in meaningful play with him and offers positive affirmations. They see his progress and are excited about his future. At each visit, they express their gratitude and anticipation, eager to see what further improvements Yousif will make.
We Learn Together to Improve Our Lives!
Nazira is a mother of a child with disability, and a new staff of our partner organization. She participated in a training on early intervention for children with hearing and visual impairments.
Never too late to learn!
With the support and help from the staff I learnt how to take care of a child with disability.
Chairs for Children
Positioning and proper support for children with disabilities is important for their development
Sing Hello
“Fahid, it is your turn to sing!” Our volunteers encourage and then, with a little bit of prompting, Fahid begins to sing for us.
Hope Stored in His Heart
Most of all we sense that Haitham now has hope stored in his heart that he did not have before.
Opening Doors to Equality
Children with disabilities (CWD) are being given the chance to learn at mainstream schools thanks to one of our partner organisations in Tajikistan.
School accessibility is one of the most important components of providing inclusive education and promotion of the rights of children with disabilities.
Professionalism Produces Results
Practical training like this empowers therapists to be more professional and to achieve better results in their treatment.
The View Changes
After a couple of sessions on the back of a gentle horse, Jamal now rides with a smile on his face.
Now He Sits Like a King!
Positioning and proper support for children with cerebral palsy is crucial to their development and also to interacting and engaging with their environment.
How a Mother’s Life Was Changed
On his own, he began to stand up and to hold himself on the wall.
New Horizons
The view of the horizon from the CBR window is changing. As new life sprouts up and lurches forward around the CBR Center and throughout the villages,
Wheelchair Gives New Hope in Life
The wheelchair has not only contributed to Amir’s improvement physically, but emotionally and psychologically as well.
Changing the Trajectory
Danior used to be angry all the time. He was quick to attack and hit the other kids at the children’s home. He had reasons to be angry –
Not Just Playing Around
This child was 2 ½ years old and had never walked alone before!
New Found Confidence
During the last couple of weeks, Ahmed’s gait and posture have significantly improved.
Hope Starts in the Small Things
Most importantly, hope is present for Hamidjon because he has a loving mother, who, through our project, is able to experience support and acceptance, receive counselling and process her grief.
Training for Local Health Care Professionals
Kangaroo care and skin to skin contact between mother and newborn baby – these are vital practices unheard of in the local Kazakh neonatology hospitals.
Partnerships for Good
He now has a stable home for him and his family and is walking on his “new” foot.
First Aid Training Programme
After living in Central Asia for a year and engaging closely with the local community, I noticed a significant gap in health knowledge. Many people would quickly panic in medical situations simply because they did not know how to respond.
Don’t Give Up, There Is Still Hope
After a year of working with her, she is now able to feed herself, shower independently and help with cleaning around the house! When we first started working with her,