Volunteer Society Nepal : The best experience for volunteers, the best value for Nepal.
WHO survey indicates that 5% Children are victimized by any kinds of disabilities in Nepal every year. Nearly 54% children fall prey to disability due to lack of knowledge in their parents about the nature and treatment of different common curable communicable diseases.
Likewise, nearly 17% children are disabled due to different accidents. Nearly 29% children are disabled by birth. The mortality rate of children is extremely high because only 17% children get proper health facilities, medicines, nutrition whereas 70% to 80% are deprived of their fundamental right ; the right to an education.
Children with disabilities are one of the most marginalized and excluded groups of children, experiencing widespread violations of their rights. Discrimination arises not as a result of the intrinsic nature of children’s disability, but rather, as a consequence of lack of understanding and knowledge of its causes and implications, fear of difference, fear of contagion or contamination, or negative religious or cultural views of disability. It is further compounded by poverty, social isolation, humanitarian emergencies, lack of services and support, and a hostile and inaccessible environment. Too often, children with disabilities are defined and judged by what they lack rather than what they have.
Disabled individuals in Nepal are ignored, neglected and forced to live in dark rooms, because most of the family members of disabled individuals feel shame at having lost the prestige due to them in the community. As a result, they are dying in the same room or bed where they were born. In Nepal, disability is regarded as a form of punishment given by the god. Having a disabled member in the family affects the social reputation and relations of the whole family. Therefore, we want to bring them out and give them good care. For doing this we are searching for funds to provide vehicle service for pickup and drop for these handicapped children from home to the center.
In August 2013, Volunteer Society Nepal (VSN) started a new project “Centre for Children with Intellectual Disabilities” as another milestone in its responsibilities. Currently 13 children and young adults (8yrs to 22yrs old) who are intellectually disable, are participating in different activity classes from 10:00am to 3:00pm, Sunday thru Friday. A caretaker lady and four trained lady teachers are busy with these lovely children.
This project is to enable the intellectually handicapped and helpless people to have a life of dignity and comfort by providing them education, support, life skills, vocational training, physiotherapy care and proper treatment so that they receive equal opportunity and rehabilitate in the community.
Physiotherapist Lucy Mills from Australia volunteered at the Center for Children with Intellectual Disabilities for 6 weeks in October and November 2014. She set up physiotherapy programs for the children who attended the center and in the community. These need to be reviewed and progressed regularly by a physiotherapist or occupational therapist in order to ensure the children can reach their full potential. Even those who have no specialist pediatric knowledge will still be able to offer a lot to these children. Volunteers who have no professional background can also make a big difference. The physio programs are very easy to follow including photos and simple instructions. If they are continued the children will benefit greatly. For example a 6 year old boy with cerebral palsy at the center was started on a more intense physio program in October 2014 and over a 4 month period has progressed from being able to take a few unsteady steps to being able to stand quite well and walk across a 10 meter courtyard.
There are a few children who attend the center with Autism who quite urgently need some input to help manage their challenging behaviors. Some written management plans would be very beneficial to help the staff and volunteers with this. The staff at VSN can help with interpreting to facilitate this.
VSN seeks applications from Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, Music therapists and Speech therapists for their voluntarily professional support & guidance. Interested organizations and individuals are most welcome to make donations for our Center. You can help to change the lives of these disabled children through your donations. We are also seeking generous donors for Physiotherapy equipment.