Kathy Bowler's October to December Update!

Wow! Have we been busy at Children of Blessing Trust! In October we ran 11 Community Sensitization Training sessions in each of our communities. Nambuma, Mbavi and Chitukula received training on HIV, disability and the issues faced by the families of children with disabilities. We followed this up with HIV testing and counselling in the communities where we do not have testing facilities. In Chitukula there were so many people coming for the service that the test kits ran out! We are already planning on going again!

After the session in Mbavi many new children with disabilities registered for our services. We met with the chiefs and sourced a site for a new Outreach Clinic. Shuppie, our newest Rehabilitation Technician, has started going to Mbavi two afternoons a week. Many children are already attending both rehabilitation and preschool education.

In November we ran 9 Parent Workshops at our main centre in Lilongwe. This is an important time for the parents. In the day to day programs we see so many children at one time that we do not get to spend very much time teaching the parents. In the Parent Workshops we use lectures, role playing and practical sessions to help them understand what caused their child’s disability and what they can do each day to help their child grow and develop to be all that they are meant to be!

We have also given out 10 wheelchairs from an organization called Free Wheelchair Mission.

Of course while all of this was going on we were also busy running the Children’s Rehabilitation Centre, the Integrated Preschool, the Special Education Program and the Outreach Clinics daily!