Community Based Rehabilitation
In spring 2023 we partnered with another NGO. Their local staff were running a centre in the old city for children with learning disabilities.
They wanted to integrate children with physical disabilities and asked our physical therapist (PT) and our occupational therapist (OT) to work specifically with these children.
Over the course of a few weeks we taught their staff about basic Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy principles and were even able to do a few home visits, visiting the families together with the local staff.
During one of the home visits two local staff members took our PT and OT to the home of Bassam*. He was severely physically and mentally disabled, and his mother had left when he was young. Bassam, 13, had stopped coming to the centre and we wanted to find out why.
After greeting him, we got him out of his bed and set him on a chair, but it took both of us to keep him seated in his chair as he started to fall backwards. My teammate suggested that he needed a “truth-boost”, so I knelt next to him, and looked him into the eyes. His stare was
empty, hopeless.
“Bassam, I know you have been disappointed by people. But I want you to know that God will never forsake you. He sees you and he loves you,” I said.
Immediately, the boy’s posture improved as he straightened his back and started supporting himself. In what appeared to have been a major shift, we could let him go and watch him sit on his own. The words of truth had an immediate, tangible impact.
*Name changed
Standing Strong
Farhad is a bright seven-year-old and the third child in his family. However, unlike his siblings, he has faced significant challenges since birth due to Cerebral Palsy,
Local Partnerships to Maximise Capacity
When a massive flood hit the North West of the country, our team was able to visit and make connections with families and centres with children with disabilities.
Not Just Playing Around
This child was 2 ½ years old and had never walked alone before!
An Event for Mothers
“This is for me?” One of the ladies asked, looking at the beautiful hand-held mirror she just decorated. Her question is perhaps not surprising. For these village women,
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.
Investing in the Future
There are new sounds coming from the centre these days.
Wheelchair Gives New Hope in Life
The wheelchair has not only contributed to Amir’s improvement physically, but emotionally and psychologically as well.
Showing a New Way
The staff helped Aygul and her colleagues better understand the effects of CP on the children and ways to increase the children’s mobility.
Full Participation at School
In the summer, our organisation received a request to build a ramp and an accessible toilet at this school to allow the school to accept children with disabilities so that they could socialise and study with their peers.
Each Child is Valuable
“I’ve learnt from you that each child is created by God and valuable, and I want to do my best to love and raise her like you would” she said
Exploring New Ways of Moving
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.
Grateful Families
The parents of these children hosted a celebration to say thank you to our partners who have helped their families.
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,
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.
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.
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 –
Never too late to learn!
With the support and help from the staff I learnt how to take care of a child with disability.
Receiving Help, Taking Responsibility
Amantur lives on a small farm in Kyrgyzstan that is quite remote, lying between two villages.
New Found Confidence
During the last couple of weeks, Ahmed’s gait and posture have significantly improved.
A Community United for Mubariz
As part of our partner’s project on accessibility, the team launched a district-wide assessment in Rudaki. Here they met a teacher who was homeschooling a 9-year-old boy named Mubariz,