PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Special Mothers Project (SMP) is an advocacy and
awareness creating programme on cerebral palsy.
The project seeks to create awareness while advocating
favourable policies for families with children who have cerebral palsy.
The project also seeks to coordinate cerebral palsy related
activities in Ghana and serve as a counselling point for mothers with children
who have cerebral palsy.
The project uses the media to create awareness on Cerebral
palsy related activities while drawing the attention of policy makers to issues
that need to be addressed.
The Project was officially given the certificate of incorporation
and certificate to commence operations on 31st March 2016 by Ghana’s
Registrar-General’s Department.
However, SMP started operations around July 2015.
OUR VISION:
The Special Mothers Project’s vision is to create awareness
about cerebral palsy and point families with children who have cerebral palsy
to available services in Ghana.
The project also seeks to empower especially mothers with
basic handling and management of a child with cerebral palsy.
This is done through training workshops for parents/mothers
with the basic physiotherapy skills and encourage parents to share vital
information.
The workshops also serve as a skill learning platform for
parents and a networking opportunity to meet other mothers/families with
children with cerebral palsy.
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| During our workshop with Multikids Foundation |
WORKSHOPS
This year the Special Mothers Project partnered with two
organizations: Sharecare4u and Multikids Foundation to organize workshops for
mothers.
Both workshops attracted about 30-35 mothers/parents of
children with cerebral palsy.
Multikids Foundation has promised to hold a quarterly
workshop for parents.
The first workshop organized in collaboration with
shareare4u with support from Diligent Care services and the Accra Physiotherapy
Centre was held on 2nd July 2016 while the second workshop was held
in collaboration with Multikids Foundation was held on 1st October
2016.
WORLD CP DAY CELEBRATION: - The Special Mothers project coordinated
with organizations like the CBM/Presbyterian Health Services, Cerebral palsy
Ghana and Centre for Employment for Persons with Disability to organize the
World CP day on the 5th of October in Dodowa. It is worth to note
that the celebration of World CP day had not been celebrated on a big platform
as it was celebrated this year in Ghana. Let me give a special mention to Nana
Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection for gracing the occasion
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| Special Mothers at a meeting in Madina |
MEDIA
The Project had a privilege of going on many media platforms
to talk about cerebral palsy, I may not be able to list all of them thoroughly
but the few that come to mind include Class FM, Starr FM, Joy FM, GBC radio not
to mention the various newspaper and online news articles that were published
in line with the project objectives to create awareness on cerebral palsy.
I cannot talk about the media without mentioning Nana Kodjo
Jehu-Appiah, my immediate boss at the Ghana News Agency who made sure that my
stories got published through the GNA system. Mrs Beatrice Asamani Savage, my
superior in the office who encourages me. (Trust me there were times I felt
like giving up) Mr Elvis Darko, Editor of the Finder News Paper, he made sure
that he published all stories and news stories I sent to him and gave me front
page prominence sometimes, Mr Kent Mensah, Online Editor of Starr FM, Mr Isaac
Kaladzi, Producer of the Morning Show Starr FM, he also gave me an opportunity
on DW Radio, Mr Ajafor of Modern Ghana, Mr Edmound Smith Asante of the Daily
Graphic, Mrs Emelia Ennin Abbey of the Daily Graphic, Madam Salome Donkor of
the Daily Graphic, Mr Kojo Yankson, Morning Show host of Joy News, thank you
for the follow-up, Nana Ansah Kwao IV, host of PM Express, thank you for the
publicity and exposure, Mr Emmanuel Dogbevi of Ghana Business News online, I
can go on and on, the media support has been great and I am very grateful.
WAY FORWARD
The project has adopted a government Special/unit in Madina school
for upgrade to enable children with cerebral palsy have access to education. The School is now used as our project office
and meeting place.
The project is planning on engaging two mothers as care
givers to support the special education teachers. The project would therefore
embark on a fund raising exercise for that purpose.
This will enable mothers in the vicinity to be able to drop
off their children with Cerebral palsy in the school and pick them in the
evening.
As it is now, many mother with children who have cerebral
palsy are forced to abandon career or work and stay home to take care of their
children.This puts a lot of financial constraints on such families.
CHALLENGES
The Project’s major challenge has been dedication from
mothers. Many mothers have become apathetic, probably given up on their
children with cerebral palsy and are not so sure whether policy change is
possible.
The project started as an online advocacy and communication
is done mainly through whatsapp, therefore it is difficult getting information
to mothers who are not online or do not use the whatsapp platform.
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| Practical session during our workshop with sharecare, Ghana |
Special Mention: Let me give a special mention to Ms Belinda
Siggers of the Diligent Care services for supporting our first workshop with
cash donation and Mr Kwame Owusu Danquah, Chief of Akan Fekuw in Denmark for
their donation towards our activities.
