Sumaya* is a girl with Cerebral Palsy who has been coming to the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) project in Rudaki, Tajikistan, since she was 3 and a half years old. When she initially came to the CBR centre she cried a lot and she didn’t want to stay in the group or be involved in the activities. Her mother felt discouraged when she saw how the other children who regularly attended the groups were making good progress. She wanted to see similar changes in her daughter and started bringing her to every lesson.
Sumaya’s mother was an active participant, she learned from the teachers and continued the hard work at home too. Sumaya developed daily as her mom did the exercises with her.Sumaya is now five years old and she no longer cries when she comes to the centre, rather she participates in all the activities with a big, beautiful smile. She can creep on her tummy and stand on her knees. She communicates with the teachers and says some words.
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!”
Abdurahmon* is a 6-year-old boy who has developmental and speech delays. Like Sumaya, the first time he attended the CBR centre he didn’t want to play with the other children at all and he cried while sitting on his mother’s lap, hiding his face from others.
But after a few days he got used to the atmosphere of the CBR centre and he started to communicate with the teachers using sign language. Soon he was participating in the lessons without his mother’s presence in the group, which made his mother very happy.
One day his mother came to the centre smiling and said “Yesterday, my son called his father “Dad”! He pronounced this word! I couldn’t believe my ears! My husband’s eyes were full of tears as it was the first time he has spoken in his six years!”
Now Abdurahmon comes to the centre every Tuesday and Friday, his speech is improving, he can communicate with his peers and he actively participates in all the activities.
Both these families have been given hope as they have seen the development and progress Sumaya and Abdurahmon have made.
*names changed
