Special Mothers Project supports members in dire need – COVID 19

 Members of the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy programme on families raising children with special needs, have pooled resources to support members who may be in dire need during the Corona Virus Disease Pandemic

Most families raising children with special needs in Ghana already face isolation because of the lack of social support services and usually live on the benevolence of others due to their inability to work and earn an income

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Special Mothers Project, said, the earlier intention was to distribute foodstuff such as rice, beans, oil, gari to families that were in dire need especially in these times.

“However, observing the rule on social distancing, we decide to give each of the beneficiaries 100 cedis to buy foodstuff and advised them to stay safe and endeavour to protect the children,” she said.

The Special Mothers Project made a symbolic presentation of foodstuff and a cash amount to Madam Janet Afi Sogbo, grandmother and main care giver of a nine year old girl with cerebral palsy

12 members of the Special Mothers Project selected from the Greater Accra region, Ashanti, Central and Brong Ahafo regions respectively has so far benefitted from the gesture

The beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the kindness shown them by the group and promised to buy nutritious foodstuff to feed their families and stay safe

COVID 19 presents another challenge to families raising children with Special Needs especially those with neurological conditions may be susceptible to having their immune system compromised.

Special Mothers Project - COVID 19 

The Special Mothers Project is an advocacy and awareness creation programmes on cerebral palsy issues and issues affecting families raising children with special needs

Incorporate the Needs of Persons with Disability in National Relief Plan of COVID 19 - NCPD

The National Council on Persons with Disability has advised the Presidency to incorporate and prioritized the needs of persons with disabilities in the National Relief Plan of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID 2019)

A statement issued by the Executive Secretary of National Council on Persons with Disability, Ms Esther Akua Gyamfi said that Persons with disabilities particularly, persons with auto-immune conditions and persons with multiple disabilities were most likely to have their immune systems easily compromised by this virus. 

The Council gave the advice when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo granted them audience.

The delegation was led by the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Council f Mr. Yaw Ofori – Debra, also included Mr. Alexander Williams and Mr. Mathew Kubachua from Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, Dr. Akwasi Osei of Mental Health Authority, Special Mothers Project represented by Mrs Hannah Awadzi and Mr.  Frimpong Manso, a Sign language interpreter.

The Council urged government to make e budgetary allocation towards strategies that target persons with disabilities in the eradication of COVID-19.

The statement said access to information is often a barrier for persons with a disabilities who have specific communication needs including the deaf, deafblind, the hard of hearing, the non-verbal etc. 

“They remain at a higher risk of being socially isolated if deliberate measures are not implemented to include them.”

It therefore called on government to have specific communication needs including the deaf, the hard of hearing, the non-verbal in the sensitization on COVID -19 by including sign language interpretations at least within the period of COVID-19  and all information on COVID-19 meant for the general public should have a video version with subtitles, captioning and sign language interpretation. 

Social distancing is the biggest form of concern to persons with disabilities who depend heavily on human support to go about their daily activities, “The message on social distancing education without the disability component leaves persons with disabilities vulnerable, neglected and potentials for abandonment. “

The statement said sensitization on social distance must stress on the need for the personal assistants, caregivers, guides to wash their hands and arms as well as sanitize their hands and arms as they offer support to persons with disabilities.

 
The National Council on Persons with Disability,  the State agency mandated to coordinate all activities related to the mainstreaming and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Ghana, together with its stakeholders including Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), Mental Health Authority and Special Mothers Project commended the Government for providing the general public with relevant information and awareness on the COVID-19 epidemic, and providing sign language interpretation in some of information dissemination sessions which aimed to update Ghanaians on the situation in the country.

The Special Mothers Project is an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy issues and issues affecting families raising children with disabilities.

I wish my son could go to school…Mother expresses strong desire

A mother whose seven year old son lives with a condition called Brain Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) has expressed her strongest desire that she wish his son could go to school.

Brain Arteriovenous Malformation is a tangle of abnormal and poorly formed blood vessels. Brain AVMs are of special concerns because of the damage they cause when they bleed. They are rare and occur in less than one per cent of the general population, according to the Toronto Brain Vascular malformation study group.

Ms Antoinette Sinzogah, Mother of seven year old Benjamin Dotu who lives with AVM, said Benjamin is her fourth child. Benjamin has a slightly bigger head, sit without support, talks eloquently, he is able to express himself and he is intelligent.

Ms Sinzogah said she was a French teacher in a private school when she gave birth to Benjamin but had to stop working because of her son’s condition to become a stay home mother and primary caregiver.

“I wish my son could go to school, I am even willing to work in any school that would admit my son so that I can help attend to children with special needs in the school. I trained as a professional teacher,” she said.

Ms Sinzogah said she had a seemingly normal pregnancy except that she had Malaria when she was four month into the pregnancy, and was induced to labour when she was due delivery.

“My son had jaundice in the first week of life but he was put under phototherapy to clear it, as he grew, I noticed his neck wasn’t getting stable, I complained to the healthcare professionals but they told me to give it sometime.

“When my son was six month old, I went back to the hospital where I was told to start physiotherapy, doctors said they could not operate him because of where the malformation is,” she said

Ms Sinzogah said her family is forced to live on one income, that is her husband’s income and it is woefully inadequate given that they have four children and her income as a teacher was of great help to the family.

She appealed to the government to establish facilities that accommodate and educated children with special needs and also to employ especially mothers to work in such facilities.

 
“I am ever ready to work in a special needs facility or school should my son have the opportunity to go to school,” Ms Sinzogah added.

Watch a bit of the Interview with Benjamin's Mother