Community Based Rehabilitation
“It takes time to see attitudinal changes,” says Emma, “but we think we have seen changes and as long as we stay and continue working, then we will see more positive changes ahead.”
Walking in Kara Suu
Problems with her birth left her unable to walk normally, so she has spent most of her life sitting and watching the world go by.
Changing the System
A gentleman from the Ministry of Health approaches the podium at the 1st National CBR Conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Six years ago we had a “friendship building experience,” in the form of a major argument over priorities for children with disabilities and where they live.
Child Development and Hope
Her mother speaks about Sumaya’s development with great happiness and joy. She says, “I didn’t expect to see this much development in my daughter, but now I see she can do a lot and will continue to make progress!”
Brave Enough to Celebrate
It is easy to think about development work only in terms of improving physical aspects of a community like economics or health. However, transformational development also means coming along-side the poor to help them spiritually and socially.
A New Smile
“The most beautiful thing is the big smile on his face.”
Visit to Lovely Soul
This four-year-old’s name literally means “Lovely Soul.” When she grins, you can see that it’s a good fit.
Community Brings New Hope to a Mother
“This community has helped my son to improve not only physically, but also mentally.”
Caring to Bring About Heart Change
Gulnoza truly brings sustained hope to the people she meets with. By caring for struggling individuals in this society, she is helping bring about the heart change that leads to life transformation.
Extra Special Education
Samuel* entered the world with cerebral palsy. When he was about 12 years old, his family sent him to stay at the state institution for children with disabilities.
Therapeutic Friendship
She encouraged the younger girl to keep trying with the horse. Lisa received the encouragement, and her perseverance paid off.
Hope and Light Shared Through Community Based Rehabilitation
“It takes time to see attitudinal changes,” says Emma, “but we think we have seen changes and as long as we stay and continue working, then we will see more positive changes ahead.”
Reacquiring Skills
Members of our team in Kazakhstan, in partnership with others in Almaty, have been using their occupational therapy and caring skills with people with disabilities.
Rewards from Team Effort
Eventually several relatives visited and noticed that Mustafa had greatly improved. They wanted to pass out sweets to their friends and neighbors to celebrate.
Capacity Building Changes Lives
Amina has grown in her capacity to advocate for children with disabilities, to encourage other mothers, and now has grown in confidence to share her knowledge and experience with the social assistance workers too.
Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference
Anna is always going to need a lot of help, but if we can make small changes like how she is positioned at home, it’s going to have big long term effects on how tight her muscles become and how much movement and quality of life she has in the future.
Caring Acceptance Produces Hope
Alisher is a boy with autism, who struggles to interact well with his world, struggles with behaviour and attention and is not able to speak.
A COVID-19 Story: Food and Hygiene Kits for CBR Families
During the distribution, it was evident that many people have been out of work while some also reported being in debt primarily due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Advocating For Children With Disabilities
This was also a turning point for the team, as training others to recognise the needs of children with disabilities and to identify the ways in which they can help is one of its main aims and goals.
Thanksgiving Fall Party
A Fall party was a great opportunity to show guests just how much the children are learning.
The Joy of One Small Step
“The joy and the friendship of these two boys, one having a disability and the other not, is one small step… that can hopefully start a giant leap in the direction of building an inclusive community.”