By Saio Marrah
World Hope International on Saturday 18th March hosted over 1,000 children living with disability together with their caregivers at Aberdeen Beach Freetown with the aim of ending stigmatization towards the children.
The annual beach outing was spiced up with performances by dance groups that also did sign language interpretation, members whom were dumb and deaf.
The Programme Director and Physiotherapist, Enable the Children Programme of World Hope International, Anna Vines said the annual beach picnic started back in 2007 with about 10 people.
She said besides ending stigmatization toward children living with disability, the beach outing will serve as an opportunity for the children to make new friends.
She said they wanted parents of the disabled children to know that they are not alone and that the invitation of other stakeholders including those from government agencies was for them to see the need to do more in their endeavors toward challenged children.
According to her, they are a team of local and expatriate staff who provide physiotherapy and occupational therapy, care and support services to approximately 1,000 children living with disabilities in Freetown.
She said the local chiefs and religious leaders were particularly invited so that they can in turn further encourage their people and congregation to stand up against the stigmatization of children with disability.
Alhaji Mohamed Njai, a caregiver of a 14 year old boy, talked about how her wife, who is a midwife at a certain hospital adopted the boy two days after his birth when the mother of the child ran away because the child is disabled. He also narrated how they went through all the protocols to ensure they legally adopt the child.
According him, the boy could not walk or talk, but with the help of World Hope International, he can now walk and talk, courtesy of the therapy they embarked on, together with other processes.
Before that he said they had taken the child to Ola During Hospital where a doctor told them that he must be flown out of the country for treatment.
Another parent, Aminata Kamara, whose daughter is physically challenged, informed journalists that her neighbours always taunt her.
However, with the intervention of the organization, the exercises they provide and advices on what to do as a parent, Ms. Kamara said the condition of her daughter is gradually becoming stable.
She said the girl now understands the entire practical lessons she teaches her.
According to her, the beach festival has made her to believe that her child also is an important human being in society because she has seen others that have motivated her more.
World Hope International is an American INGO in Sierra Leone with three main pillars of focus- Water and Sanitation, Social Protection, and Health and Nutrition.
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