Support Valuable COBT Services in 2014 - Donate to Thrive Malawi Today!

Here’s how you can help our partner COBT deliver vital services for kids in Lilongwe, Malawi!

Children’s Rehabilitation Program:  Provides children with disabilities access to Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy services.  These services are available at the main centre in Area 25 as well as at the Integrated Preschool, Special Education Program and Outreach clinics. $60, 000.00 a year or $5,000 a month

Outreach Clinics:  Provides therapy services in rural communities so that the children living in these villages can attend therapy twice a week.  Outreach clinics will be held in Kauma, Mgwangwa, Njewa, Lumbadzi, Mchesi, Kalulu and Mtandire. $10,000 a year or $850 a month

Integrated Preschool:  Provides quality preschool education for children with disabilities and their able-bodied peers 5 mornings a week.  Over 75 children with disabilities and 10 to 12 able-bodied peers attend the preschool with a daily attendance of over 30 children. $13, 000.00 a year or $1100 a month

Special Education Program:  Provides special education services for children with physical, learning, hearing and behavior challenges through a variety of programs.  The goal is to prepare the children for school whenever possible.   Many of our children are too old to enter the school system so will attend ‘school’ at COBT’s centre.  Others will attend boarding school or regular school and come for special services after school and during school holidays.  $6, 000.00 a year or $500 a month

Our Daily Feeding Program:  Provides a full protein meal for each child attending every day.  We serve a variety of meals to the children including nsima, the local staple food, with a protein source and a vegetable, rice porridge made from rice and groundnut flour, or maize soya porridge.  We also serve a snack to the children attending some of the outreach clinics and the Epilepsy clinics.  Your donation could help us purchase sugar, salt, drinks, tea, powdered milk, biscuits, maize flour, soya pieces, kapenta (dried fish), cooking oil, beans, and spices.  $6000 a year or $500 a month 

Nutrition Program:  Provides malnourished children with the assistance they need to increase their weight through provision of maize soya porridge and chiponde (fortified peanut butter paste).  Malnourished children are weighed and height and MUAC (middle upper arm circumference) measurements are taken biweekly.  Maize soya porridge is given to all children under weight for their age.  Children with a MUAC of 12 cm or under or who have lost weight or have edema will be given chiponde as well.  $850 a month or $10,000 a year

Parent Workshops:  To provide the parents and caregivers with education about their child’s disability and to teach them how to assist their child at home.  We offer workshops on Introduction to Disabilities, Importance of Independence in Activities of Daily Living, Importance of Play and Sensory Stimulation, Importance of School, Communication, HIV/AIDS, Puberty Issues, Hearing Impairment, Nutrition and Food Security and Epilepsy.  Our goal is to carry out 3 rounds of workshops per year at $ 1000 each round. 

Equipment Loan Program:  Provides the parents and their children with the equipment they need to carry out therapy at home.  Funding is required to purchase the raw materials to make special chairs, pillows, arm wraps, walking frames, wheelchairs and other pieces of equipment such as harnesses and seatbelts.  The Equipment Loan Program also purchases ankle foot orthoses, spinal braces and prosthetic limbs from our provider 500 Miles.  $10,000.00 for the year or just over $800 a month.  You can also sponsor a wheelchair for a child for $200.  

Epilepsy Clinic:  Provides children and adults with Epilepsy consultation with the doctor and access to epilepsy medication twice a month.  Over 525 clients are registered with new clients coming to every clinic.  COBT partners with the Lilongwe District Health Office (DHO) and whenever possible we receive the medication free from them.  We also cover transportation costs to come to the clinic.  This program costs $5000 a year or $420 a month.

Capital Projects:  We need vehicles to help with all we do.  We thought it would be a good time to begin to raise awareness of this and to put the request out there.   We also need more space!

• Small vehicle for all the administrative work                      =$15,000
• Mini-bus to transport clients                                                  =$75,000
• Another building for the School                                              =$75,000

You can send the funds through Thrive Malawi, a registered Canadian charitable organization that has been set up solely to assist Children of Blessing Trust.  You can donate on line through the website www.thrivemalawi.ca or donate by cheque by sending an email to info@thrivemalawi.ca.