Member

Centre for Services and Information on Disability - CSID

Name of Author

Iftekhar ahmed

Email

Iftekhar.program@gmail.com

Date

29-09.2020

Project Overview

Virtual counselling for children with disabilities, promotion of more accessible sanitary resources at schools and health clinics. Training for parents on coping mechanisms during the pandemic, including health, hygiene, and nutrition.

Agreed Activities

A

●      Awareness session on COVID-19 with parents/caregivers of children with disabilities, orientation on health and hygiene for children with disabilities, plus food support

●      Virtual counseling to the children with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities

B

●      Set up accessible basin at school/community level for encouraging had wash habits, and advocate with school authority & teachers to install accessible sanitation, washing facilities and sanitizer materials for students with disabilities including girls with disabilities

C

●      Work with Community Health Clinic to ensure access for all types of children with disabilities

1)  Progress to Date

A

●      Awareness session on COVID-19 with parents/caregivers of children with disabilities, orientation on health and hygiene for children with disabilities, plus food support

●      Virtual counseling to the children with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities

Progress

Please confirm what is completed and what will happen later.

Most of the people in this Project area whom CSID work are poor. Lack of awareness they have limited hygiene practice. Lack of awareness and accessibility Children with disabilities are the most excluding community here who are left behind from hygienic facilities. To increase the habit of hygiene maintenance project organized 8 awareness session with 84 children with disabilities (Boys- 45, Girls - 39) and 81 parents/caregivers (Male-4, Female-77). The issues of the awareness sessions were the importance of hand wash, benefit of cleanliness, proper food intake for increasing immunity system, benefit of using mask, ensure all hygiene facilities for children with disabilities. The parents/caregivers and children with disabilities were very happy to participate in those face to face sessions. They shared that they have learnt many new things this regarding hygiene and they committed to maintain all those related to hygiene always. 

In Dhaka Kamrangir Char area CSID is working from long time where children with disabilities are living in very poor condition at slum areas. Most of caregivers/parents of those children with disabilities whether day laborer or doing very low end job. During COVID 19 pandemic most of the caregivers/parents lost their work and most of the families are facing food crisis and some of children with disabilities are traumatic because of sudden situation change. Some children with disabilities even starving during the situation. The situation were so deteriorated that because of food crisis it was very difficult for some children with disabilities to survive. CSID Because of their survival through the financial support from Family for Every Child CSID immediately provided food support to 150 children with disabilities (Girls- 64, Boys-86). Because of the immediate food support from Family for Every Child the targeted children with disabilities are survived. Some parents commented that the Food support during their crisis was like help from haven that helped to survive their children with disabilities.

Because of sudden situation change and isolation some children with disabilities were become traumatic in that area. Children with disabilities always enjoy to go outside specially to go to school that is one of their recreational place that reduce their frustration. But because of this pandemic situation the school are closed and they are not allowed to go outside. Some of them even don’t know clearly what the crisis is because the family members don’t share properly with them because of negligence. Because of pandemic situation it was not possible to go to their home for home counseling to reduce their trauma. So the project called them through prone and provided them counseling. Till date 100 children with disabilities (Girls-64, Boys-36) with disabilities received counseling session that provided by CSID staff. Based on severity some children with disabilities needed 4 sessions, some needed 10 sessions and some needed 6 sessions. For documentation staff use register. Some parents were also traumatic because of this pandemic situation. Especially a huge number of parents/caregivers lost their jobs. So the project staff provided counseling to 81 parents/caregivers (Male-4, Female-77). After receiving the counseling support the stress/trauma of those parents/caregivers reduced. Some of them commented that they were happy to share their problem face to face during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Successes

What are you most proud of?

Some children with disabilities were starving during the pandemic situation. The situation were so deteriorated that because of food crisis it was very difficult for some children with disabilities to survive. In this situation through this fund CSID provided food support to 150 children with disabilities. Because of the immediate food and nutrition support the targeted children with disabilities are survived. Some parents commented that the Food support during their crisis was like help from haven that helped to survive their children with disabilities. We are proud to provide food support to those children with disabilities that was their emergency need.

The physical and psychosocial condition improved of those 150 children with disabilities in Dhaka because of food, nutrition and psychosocial support from Family for Every Child during this pandemic situation. Most of those children with disabilities are now participating in education and other activities.

Challenges

What has been the most challenging part of the work?

Very challenging to provide food support to 150 children with disabilities maintaining social distance and also to ensure accessibility for children with disabilities. To mitigate the challenge project marked space for each children with disabilities and strictly followed up whether maintaining distance or not. Some local volunteers also provided support to mitigate the challenges. Project also used an Accessible Government primary school for food distribution.

Context & Changes

Please explain if external or internal challenges led to changes to your plans

The area is very congested and all the schools and community center are closed now because of pandemic situation. So it was very difficult to arrange face to face meeting maintaining social distance and security. To mitigate the challenge project breakout the participants. As an example 12 participants has to ensure in 1 awareness session. But project broken the participants for 2 sessions.

Stakeholders

How has cooperation with other stakeholders affected your work?  E.g. government departments, local authorities, networks or local organisations

The Government was very cooperative and within a short time they have approved to start the work.

Local authorities and local organizations worked jointly with CSID during food distribution and they also cooperated to organize awareness sessions.   

B

●      Set up accessible basin at school/community level for encouraging had wash habits, and advocate with school authority & teachers to install accessible sanitation, washing facilities and sanitizer materials for students with disabilities including girls with disabilities

Progress

Please confirm what is completed and what will happen later.

Because of inaccessibility children with disabilities cannot use the traditional basin and washing facilities at schools/community. It is very difficult to the wheel chair user and the children with disabilities who cannot stand to use the traditional basin to wash hand. Another issue is that in most of the schools has no soap or sanitizer that is important to protect children from COVID 19 infection. To address the issue the project organized 2 meeting with 25 school authority to setup accessible basin for children with disabilities and ensuring sanitizer facilities for all. After the discussion and meeting with school authority project setup two accessible basin at two schools. From now children with disabilities also can use the accessible basin and sanitizer facilities at those two school. The other schools authority also committed to setup such kind of accessible basin at their school if they can manage fund.

Successes

What are you most proud of?

We have setup an accessible basin at FA National school where a wheelchair girl with disability Name Morsheda akter studding. Many times she could not wash her hand and could not use basing before. But now she can use the accessible basin and has the opportunity now to use sanitizer/soap that protect her from COVID -19.

Challenges

What has been the most challenging part of the work?

Because of the COVID 19 situation it was very difficult to work in the schools because all the schools were closed. Project motivated the school management committee to mitigate this.

Context & Changes

Please explain if external or internal challenges led to changes to your plans

NA

Stakeholders

How has cooperation with other stakeholders affected your work?  E.g. government departments, local authorities, networks or local organisations

Because of the cooperation of schools management committee we can setup two basin at schools in the Pandemic situation when all schools are closed.

C

●      Work with Community Health Clinic to ensure access for all types of children with disabilities

Progress

Please confirm what is completed and what will happen later.

Many children with disabilities need to take regular medicine and as poor many of them rely on government/NGOs support to manage medicine. There are some government community clinic in the Kamrangirchar area and also have some private clinic. To ensure the services of those community clinic and private clinic staff organized 1 sensitization meeting with 14 clinic staff. The main topics discussed during the meeting were disability, the rights of children with disabilities based on government policy, some specific health condition of children with disabilities and the support that could be provided by Government and Private clinic to those poor children with disabilities. Lack of negative mentality towards the children with disabilities they sometimes left out from government Community Clinic service, so the staff also discuss on the issue. After those meetings the Government and Non-Government Health clinics authority assured to provide support to all types of children with disabilities. 

Successes

What are you most proud of?

In Bangladesh it is very time spending and long process to organize meeting with Government Community Clinic Authority. But we are proud to organize the meeting shortly and can successfully motivated them regarding the Health Services of children with disabilities.

Challenges

What has been the most challenging part of the work?

Challenging to motivate the authority of Government Community Clinic though the project successfully done this.

Context & Changes

Please explain if external or internal challenges led to changes to your plans

NA

Stakeholders

How has cooperation with other stakeholders affected your work?  E.g. government departments, local authorities, networks or local organisations

Both Government Community Clinic Authority and Non-Government Community Clinic authority were supportive. They ensured their venue and provided some logistics support to conduct the meeting with them in this situation.

2)  Statistics

Please remember to include details

Target

Actual

Details of type of help / training / etc

Male

Female

Male

Female

Number of parents / guardians helped directly

300

300

344

256

Children with disabilities received relief support and nutrition support and through this parents/guardians also directly benefited

Number of children helped directly

130

120

122

128

Total 150 Children with disabilities received food support and Psycho social/ counseling and 100children with Disabilities received nutrition support.

Parents / guardians trained

10

70

04

77

Awareness and counselling session on COVID 19 to the parents/caregivers of children with disabilities to reduce the stress/trauma because of COVID 19 situation

Children trained

40

40

45

39

Orientation meeting on health and hygiene to the children with disabilities that protect them from CORONA and another virus .  

Professionals trained

7

8

4

10

Meeting with Community Health Clinic for ensuring the accessibly of health service for children with disabilities

Community members engaged in project

11

11

10

15

Advocacy meeting with school authority & teachers for ensuring accessible sanitation, washing facilities and sanitizer materials for students with disabilities including girls with disabilities.

Other key stakeholders

25

25

70

80

Doctor, Teachers, Volunteers, Members of Child Protection committee, Police officer etc.

3)  Lessons & Learning

Learning

What experience or knowledge do you want to share with other members?

Addressing the special needs and realizing the potential of children with disabilities are often at the bottom of the priority list of the families and communities.

Feedback

How could the Secretariat improve the emergency fund?

According to the global and national study children with disabilities are one of the most marginalized community. Because of the inaccessible relief distribution venue, lack of information, communication barrier, lack of inaccessible transport facilities and negligence they are excluding from emergency support. Though Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs), UNCRPD and other global policy/instruments mentioned their specific requirements but in practical it is still missing. So the secretariat can raise the issue to donor and improve the emergency fund for children with disabilities.

4)  Case Study & Photos

Outcome

Please share a story that demonstrates a significant impact of your project.  We understand that you may need to remove or change details to protect confidentiality.

Morsheda is highly delighted getting relief during Covid 19 circumstances

Morsheda Akter, a fifteen years youngest child with disabilities in her family, lives in East Rasulpur of Kamrangir Char under the Dhaka South City Corporation with her a brother, sister and parents. Due to lack of money Morsheda’s family come to Dhaka from West Joya of Borhnuddin under southern district of Bhola befor Morsheda’s birth. Her father Mr. Ismail Hossen works as guard of a house and her mother works as domestic worker at other home.

It is known from her mother that Morsheda born in Dhaka and she was then sound health and everything was okay. When Morsheda was at 9 months, she was affected by typhoid fever. After a long time treatment, she got rid of the fever but could not walk. When she was growing up it was found that her hands and feet were curved and she could not speak also. But she is now intellectually comprehensive and studying in class six at F A National School at Kamrangir Char where other children with disabilities are also studying with Morsheda. CSID has given a wheel chair to her.

Due to covid 19 her father has fallen into financial scarcity because salary was lessened. They had not food.  Due to having disability Morsheda could not get proper diet, medicine and family happiness was far way. Morsheda’s family suffered ultra-poor situation with insufficient food and other essentials to survive. In that time, in cooperation with Family for Every Child, CSID has distributed relief to them. As the amount of relief was sufficient, they cross the critical time better way and did not feel troublesome condition more about 15 days more. Their family happiness was recouped and they faced the pandemic crisis rightly as well as Morsheda was happy. Besides relief, Morsheda also got hand sanitizer, mask, and gloves awareness to protect herself from Covid 19.  As child with disability Morsheda has got the opportunity of relief and felt proud. She could also support her family anyway in this pandemic situation.

Photo

If available, please share a photo of project work.  Please only include photos that are appropriate for an external audience and have the consent of the subject(s).

Photos separately attached

5)  Budget Report

Separately attached