Medical And Child Care Detail

Medical And Child Care

Africa's 784 million people continue to suffer from a huge burden of potentially preventable and treatable diseases, which not only causes high levels of unnecessary death and suffering, but also stifles economic development and damages the continent's social fabric.
It is estimated that 2.4 million people die from HIV/AIDS each year, 600 000 from Tuberculosis and more than one million from malaria. The burden is there in spite of the availability of many of the tools needed for prevention and treatment, and technological advances being within range, largely because the diseases are rooted in poverty and in weak health systems.

Children with special needs program

The Namibian society still regards children with disabilities as incapable, ill and a burden on society.  In other words, they represent a ‘problem’ to be dealt with separately from other children’s issues.  More than 80% of children with disabilities live in extreme poverty in inhospitable environments. They have very poor access to appropriate health care facilities and early childhood development opportunities.

Previously disadvantaged communities are caught up in a vicious cycle of poverty, increasing levels of crime, politically motivated violence and inadequate housing, health and other social amenities. The fact that children are unable to defend themselves, are often alone at home and are undervalued by those around them also makes them particularly vulnerable to physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

The children with disabilities experience fear and exclusion from a very young age in Society.    Non-disabled children, in their turn, learn that the exclusion of children with disabilities is the norm and therefore socially acceptable.  These early experiences reinforce acceptance of segregation in later life.  Although the parents of children with disabilities have a special and specific role to play in the development of their children, mothers (especially) often face isolation from their partners, their families and their communities. This exclusion badly affects their siblings, the survival of the family as a unity and the meaningful development of the child with disability.

Education of children with disabilities is not always regarded as a priority by parents due to poverty and the perception of investing in one’s child in the hope of future family support. Children with disabilities are not perceived as prospective future breadwinners. This situation, therefore, calls for efforts and the support for the parents of disabled children to bring up their children and integrate them properly into the mainstream society.

The children's home:  provides an in- residence program and has three main aims:

• to offer children with physical disabilities medical care, educational and social rehabilitation,

• to facilitate the integration of children with physical disabilities into mainstream schools and society,

• and to assist relatives and the local community to understand the disability and cope with it at home.

There are currently 30 children residing in the Home (this is the maximum). The type and degree of physical disability varies per child. Currently we have children with various types of cerebral palsy, poliomyelitis, amputations of limbs and / or deformities of limbs or the back / chest, TB of the spine and muscular irregularities. There are 7 locally employed staff members who assist the children at day and night when they need help with bathing or dressing and who cook, clean, do laundry and maintain the premises.

Daycare centre for children living with and without disabilities:

This is an integrated centre providing day care and rehabilitation services to meet the varied needs of 40 children and their families. The centre provides a supportive and safe atmosphere for children during the day to thrive emotionally, physically and intellectually and to encourage independence, self-confidence and consideration for others. The objective is to support, empower and promote the rights of children by integration and development, and by assisting the children with necessary conditions for their physical, mental and spiritual well-being regardless of their race, colour or need.

The project aims to promote the awareness raising aimed at strengthening the capacity of people with disabilities and increase their participation in society and to ensure that children with disabilities and their parents are fully aware of their socio-economic rights and live fully integrated lives without discrimination of stigma based on disability and poverty.

The following is a summary of activities that you as a volunteer can get involved in whilst at the home or centre.

Take care of the children and give them individual attention Prepare daily lunch, serve food, and participate in feeding program Assist in the preschool daycare centre with lessons, teaching and sport Play with the children, read one-to-one during story time Physiotherapy maintenance Awareness raising sessions with parents, youth and the elderly Fund raising and proposal writing Administration and accounting Capacity Building, skills development and training Income generating activities Tailoring and sewing Outreach programs Building, Maintenance and Repairs
Art: volunteers gifted with different artistic talents can teach the children movement and dance, drama, crafts, weaving, painting etc. As well as music training (flute, guitar, drumming and piano instruments are available)

Volunteers will be able to observe and assist resident doctors and nurses in the following areas:

Hospitals and Rural Clinics

• Pediatrics

• Maternity

• HIV Clinics/Rural Clinics

• Eye & Dental Clinics

• Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation

• Surgery

• Casualty and Emergency

• Nursing

• Male / Female General Ward

• Mortuary

• Social Services, assistance in Primary Health Care Issues

• Gender Equality, assistance in issues relating to children and woman and the elderly

In addition there are other fields in which volunteers can assist and contribute:

• Sports Coaching

• Agriculture

• Trade: tailoring, auto mechanics, electric, woodworking

• Computing, administration or finance