Disability Outreach Soroti

Our Disability Outreach programme in Soroti, Uganda, dismantles the barriers caused by prejudice and poverty for children with disabilities. These barriers often prevent disabled children from accessing medical care, attending school and being valued by their communities.

What are the challenges for children with disabilities in Uganda?

Children with disabilities in Uganda can be extremely isolated because they may be locked away for hours each day. They often experience prejudice from neighbours and even family members. In impoverished families, it is a struggle to meet even basic needs, let alone the more complex needs of a disabled child.

In rural Uganda, services for children with disabilities are extremely limited. However, even when a service is offered, many families struggle to access help due to transport difficulties, especially if a child has mobility issues.

So, discrimination against people with disabilities creates a multi-dimensional challenge for these children: They need to overcome social, systemic and cultural barriers, as well as the physical and mental difficulties caused by their disabilities.

17 year-old *Gillian has multiple disabilities. She is hearing and speech impaired and cannot walk. Gillian was abandoned by her father after her mother died, and lives with her elderly grandmother. She had no mobility aids and simply crawled everywhere. So she couldn’t leave her home or participate in community life. Our Disability Community Outreach team gave Gillian a wheelchair, and she immediately benefitted from increased independence. Now she can toilet independently, and with more dignity, and the wheelchair is broadening her horizons outside the family home. The team also provided a new mattress with waterproof cover, and hygiene supplies, as previously she slept on a cowhide on the floor. The next step is to introduce her to healthcare services which can give further support.

How is Global Care helping?

Our Disability Outreach worker identifies isolated children with disabilities across Soroti district and provides support to improve their lives.

For instance

• supporting access to medical assessment / treatment and training families in appropriate physio exercises at home
• improving access to peer-to-peer support
• advocating with schools so children with disabilities can access education, including helping schools become accessible, inclusive environments

The outreach worker works alongside two pre-existing Disability Support Groups, initially established with help from Global Care, and has helped launch two more DSGs. These are self-sustaining non-profit community groups, providing support and advocacy for people with disabilities in communities near Soroti. Activities have included a goat scheme, a microfinance savings and loan scheme, and playgroups for children with disabilities.

With years of expertise in Uganda, we know we can help create an environment in which a disabled child can thrive. Not only is this a cost-effective way of supporting children, but it happens within the child’s own community. This begins to shift cultural discrimination against people with disabilities, starting with increasing each family’s expectations for their child.

How can I help?

Be part of the transformation, not just of a vulnerable child’s life, but also of their local culture and community, by giving regularly as a Change-Maker. Your regular monthly gifts will enable the Disability Outreach programme to continue to transform lives.

*Children’s names are changed for reasons of protection.