Special Mothers Project Report on the activities for year 2017

The Year 2017 is almost drawing to a close and the Special Mothers Project will like to say a big thank you to everybody for your tremendous support this year.

It has not been a smooth sailing year but its been worth every bit of sacrifice to enhance the lives of children with cerebral palsy and their care givers, our focus has been to enhance the lives of families raising children with cerebral palsy.

We believe that if the family is sound that child is sound and safe, we emphasized on the mothers because we all know the huge role a mother plays in the life of a child

Year 2017 was full of fruitful ventures, our collaboration with Multkids Foundation grew even stronger, We also joined other organizations pursing similar cause to form the Ghana Cerebral Palsy Network

A Major highlight in our activities for the year 2017 was the National Cerebral Palsy Conference which brought organizations like the Special Mothers Project, Multikids Foundation, Sweb Foundation, The Presbyterian Inclusive Child Development Programme, Sharecare Ghana, The Special Education Unit to deliberate about the way forward to mainstreaming or including children with cerebral palsy in society.

These organizations also jointly organized the celebration of World Cerebral Palsy Day in Ghana which among others saw the launch of the book “The Unexpected” the Inspirational story that chronicles a mother’s journey of her child with cerebral palsy. This book is available for sale and we do delivery all over the world.

May I mention the visit by Mr Kenneth Nangai, a Physiotherapist from Uganda working with Lilliane Foundation who visited us and endorsed our message of home-based or community based physiotherapy at affordable rate.

We also forged partnership with the Ghana Montessori Society with the hope of helping to make Montessori Education in Ghana what it is suppose to be by emphasizing on admitting and supporting children with special needs.

Support

In the year 2017, we supported many families raising children with cerebral palsy through our therapy day session with  Multikids Foundation.

We connected some of the mothers to professional counselors and gave support in terms of money or assistive device to some of our member but notable among them was the raising of about1800 Pounds for Nhyira a five year old with cerebral palsy and her family

We also through our advocacy and our platform raised support for Mrs Golda Nunoo-Bio, a mother of four children all with special needs who attempted to commit suicide due to frustrations.

Golda has now with the Support of the Presbyterian Inclusive Child Development services completed a training in beads making and accessories. Two of her children are also going to be enrolled in school with the support of the Special Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service

Looking Ahead…2018

In the Year 2018, our advocacy is even going to be stronger; we will be focusing on inclusion, and will need your support.

We will continue the media advocacy but will also be glad if you invite us to your church meetings, social gatherings and other social activities to talk about cerebral palsy and how you can be involved. Yes you have a role to play and we are counting on you

We will continue facilitating the With God Cerebral Palsy Centre and the  Impact Care and Rehab Foundation, our aim is to help these centres to be as inclusive as possible. To move from a point where they are seen as just housekeeping for children with disability to vibrant inclusive educational centres.

We will be working toward making the Madina Unit School a resource centre where the Appropriate Paper Technology Equipment are made and taught interested persons

We are going to groom and train young ladies to develop careers around caring for or supporting children with Special needs. The project will thus to recruiting a maximum of five young people to  be trained as Special Needs Care assistants who will work with families.

The recruits will be trained in handling children with cerebral palsy with focus on posturing and basic physiotherapy. These recruits will support families at an affordable fee

We will also be available to share ideas with educational facilities who are ready to embrace inclusion and accept children with Special needs more especially cerebral palsy

We will deepen partnership with the Ghana Montessori Society and facilitate the training of mothers who may be interested in learning the Montessori curricula and training

Acknowledgement

We did what we did with the support of many individuals and organization, I may not be able to list everybody but permit me to mention a few Amanda Budge of the Multikids Foundation has been amazing, Madam Giselle Lindsay, Ama Boahemaa Ahene,  Margaret Glover, Human Resource Manager,Shop N Save Supermarket, please the Special Mothers Project has some boxes on their tills do drop in your contribution when you shop there.

Blue Skies Company Limited for refreshing us at one of our meetings, Dels Foundation, Mending Minds and Bereavement Support, Mmofra place

A special mention to Ms Patience Puplampu, she kept it going when I was on maternity leave

Media Support

The Special Mothers Project enjoyed tremendous support from The Finder Newspaper’s Editor Mr Elvis Darko, The Editorial team at the Ghana News Agency, Mohammed Suleman of the Public Agenda Newspaper, GBC both radio and TV, special mention to Fanny Nana Asamoah, Gloria Anderson, TV3, Portia Solomon Gabor, Thomas Addotei Pappoe, Esi Benewaa, Peter Adattor

Further Support

You can support the Special Mothers Project by inviting us to give an education on cerebral palsy in your organization, or at your church meeting or social event. We will come along with copies of the book The Unexpected for sale

You may also donate to :

Special Mothers Project

GN Bank Adentan Branch

1024122400001

Or Special Mothers Project

ADB, Ring Road Central Branch

1011010126145301

Mobile Money Account -+233-549114870

SIGNED

Hannah Awadzi

Executive Director

Special Mothers Project

http://specialmothersproject.blogspot.com

www.specialmothers.org

Special Mothers Project support 10 years old Fredericka with APT Chair

The Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy has donated a Tailor made chair  to 10 years old Fredericka who has cerebral palsy

The Appropriate Paper Technology (APT) Chair was given to Fredericka who has developed sclerosis and developing contractures due to poor posturing

APT equipment are made of paper and cardboard to help children with cerebral palsy with therapy

Fredericka trying her APT Chair

Ms Mabel Asare Mother of Fredericka who expressed gratitude on receiving the chair said: “I am no longer able to go for physiotherapy services; I have had two other children in addition to Fredericka, so I am forced to stay home. I can’t go out.”

Mabel expressed wishes for a community based rehabilitation centre where she could take her child or even a home based service at very affordable fee.

Mabel, a member of  the Special Mothers Project said she felt privileged when Mr Kenneth Nangai, a Ugandan based physiotherapist visited Ghana as part of  the Support Tools Enabling Parents (STEP) programme and visited her at home to give advise concerning her child.

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy said the project is advocating the training of mothers as para-professionals to enable them manage their children with cerebral palsy effectively.

“Many mothers are no longer able to afford physiotherapy services at the hospital, many continue to lose hope in seeking help for their children with cerebral palsy,” she added

Special Mothers Project donates to mother with four special needs children

The Special Mothers Project an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy has donated items and an unspecified amount of money to Ms Golda Nunoo, mother of four special needs children

The donation was done over the weekend to coincide with the meeting of the Special Mother group where members shared words of encouragement and demonstrated love towards Golda and her children.

Ms Nunoo, made an attempt to take her life and the life of three of her children when a neighbour slandered her that she had given birth to “mad children” but for the intervention of Ms Linda Clarke, a member of the Special Mothers group.

In response to the love shown her by the Special Mothers Group, Ms Nunoo said she believes it is well with her soul.

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Special Mothers Project who presented the items to Ms Nunoo said, society should look for ways to enhance the lives of parents of children with special needs

“These parents are already going through a  lot and the least we could do for them as a society is to show them love and kindness,” she said.

Mrs Awadzi called on government to implement policies that will enhance the lives of children with cerebral palsy and their families.

Parents must play a lead role in managing children with Cerebral Palsy- Physiotherapist

Mr Kenneth Nangai, a Ugandan physiotherapist is advocating that parents of children with cerebral palsy must lead in the management of the disorder

He said that therapy is no longer straight jacket and should be fused into the daily routine of the child to ensure maximum results

“The practice where parents took their children with cerebral palsy to the hospital for therapy to be done for them no longer works, it does not take into consideration the parents well-being, we should look at new ways of rehabilitating children with cerebral palsy apart from taking them to the hospital,” he said.

Mr Nangai is in Ghana as part of programme called Support Tools Enabling Parents (STEP) that aims at improving the functionality and quality of life of children with cerebral through improved assessments and goal setting.

This project is funded by Liliane Foundation a Dutch organization that supports children and youngsters with disabilities who live in poverty to develop and use their talents with the aim of contributing to the quality of lives for children with cerebral palsy.

Mr Nangai who is being hosted by the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy in Ghana has interacted with over 40 parents and caregivers of children with cerebral palsy while advising them on what was practically possible for them to do with their children.

At a meeting with the parents of the Special Mothers Group, he said usually families raising children with cerebral palsy bear the biggest challenge of addressing the day to day needs of the child such as feeding, toilet training and general functional abilities.

Parents must therefore be empowered to work effectively to rehabilitate their children with cerebral palsy

“We should stop referring to children with cerebral palsy as being sick or patients, they are not sick, they are only limited in their functional abilities because of their condition and parents must be supported to play their role of improving their functionalities

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Special Mothers Project, said the programme serves as a platform to link families raising children with cerebral palsy to the limited services

“We try to put families in touch with help through our advocacy programme and we have facilitated the training of some mothers in various enterprises to enhance their lives.

ICRF responds to the needs of families raising children with cerebral palsy

Impact Care Rehab Foundation (ICRF), an organization that provides a home for children with cerebral palsy at no cost has been opened at Kanda, a suburb of Accra.

Mrs Mildred Osei Asiamah, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation said she was touched by the plight parents of children with cerebral palsy go through in trying to find a school for their children.

“I noticed that most crèches or day care centres do not accept children with cerebral palsy, I decided to start a foundation to help parents in this direction,” she said.

Mrs Osei-Asiamah said she got close to a child with cerebral palsy when her mother was sick and admitted at Korle Bu Teaching hospital.

“I love children so I decided to research more about cerebral palsy and see how I can support the child, in my research I realized that getting children with cerebral palsy into schools was a challenge for many parents so I decided to offer help in that direction.”

 ICRF operates a free day care centre which allows parents to bring their children with cerebral palsy in the morning and pick them up in the evening.

The Centre has a retired nurse and a physiotherapist that attends to the children as well as a professional team that cares for children between the ages of 1 and 5 years.

Mrs Osei-Asiamah said: “We want to afford the career parent the opportunity to work, school and follow their dreams without stress.”

The Foundation is also partnering the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy to ensure that they are providing the right services.

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Special Mothers Project, who expressed excitement at the services the centre is providing advised Mrs Osei-Asiamah to make the centre inclusive.

Mrs Awadzi said children learn a lot by imitating their peers, she therefore  urged the centre to also accept children who did not have special needs to help those with cerebral palsy model right behaviors.