Fighting Discrimination with Empowerment-
Supporting Children with Disabilities in Myanmar
Myanmar is a beautiful country rich in history, culture and natural recourses, but living with a disability there can be a challenge due to the lack of understanding. When Ms. Thein wanted to send her daughter to a special needs centre to receive therapy, instead of receiving support from the community, she encountered a wave of incredulity: Why would she do that, why not just let the child be?
Discrimination and prejudice against persons with disabilities is still heavy in the country, because people still perceive disability as a form of bad luck. But Eden Centre for Disabled Children (ECDC) believes that each child and all of their features are gifts from God, and there is no shame in being the way they are.
Eden Centre for Disabled Children has a day care centre in Yongon, Myanmar, offering special education services tailored to each child’s intellectual level, helping them to maximize their learning potential and increase their self-management. The aim is to prepare them to transfer into mainstream schooling whenever possible, as well as lessening the burden of their caregivers.
Kyaw is a 9 year old girl in Myanmar suffering from Spastic quadriplegia, which hinders the movement of her limbs. Before going to ECDC for therapy, she was unable to sit up or use her limbs and basically lay in bed 365 days a year; after 4 months of therapy, she is now able to sit up with support from her hands. Kyaw is now also independent enough to be in the classroom without her mother. Kyaw could speak many words, though not always clearly, and she now has lots of friends. Her drastic improvement demonstrates the importance of professional care and special education. Like Kyaw, there are many other children in Myanmar in need of medical, social and professional support offered by ECDC to develop and reach their full potential. We hope that through empowering them with the right care, we could build an inclusive society which they could be a part of.
Last year, we have supported 40 children, including Kyaw, with autism or cerebral palsy to attend the Eden Centre for Disabled Children in Myanmar, with medical treatment, physiotherapy, special needs education, and other financial support. It is crucial that we help children with disabilities develop and receive the right assistance that would equip them with the proper tools to transfer into adulthood.
To support our project in Myanmar so more disabled children could access professional care and special education, please click here to donate.
