We spent today ‘in the field’ again. Oh my gosh – we had
some brilliant surprises. I’ve decided you can have another day of mostly
positive stories, but we might start looking at challenges too!
In February we visited John* and his family. John is an
orphan, has Cerebral Palsy, and lives with his elderly grandparents.
He’d just started school, walking with a
walking frame and accompanied by other children. When we visited the school, he
was sitting at the back of the class on a mat, his workbook on the floor. He
couldn’t manage to walk to the latrine, or use it himself, and Moses had to
negotiate a small ‘motivation’ for the teacher so she would accompany him to
the toilet. The nursery children were using a tumbledown latrine that belonged
to a neighbouring church. Then the Global Care project stepped in.
Today, as we approach John’s classroom, his teacher comes
out to greet us. I step into the room, and watch John undo the table on his new
chair. I’m stunned as he stands up, then he’s running towards me and flings his
arms round my waist. I’m hugging him and laughing (and trying not to cry), and
all I can think is, ‘this is what it’s all about.’ John now walks to school
without the walker, helped by his siblings and friends. He laughs and smiles
with us (although no-one’s smile is as big as mine – I can’t stretch my mouth wide
enough for the joy and love spilling out for this child). He’s made friends –
the other children sing a song to encourage him to walk! His academic work is
steadily improving. And… Global Care built a block of latrines, one has
handrails. John takes himself to the toilet. This little boy wasn’t expected to
walk independently, wasn’t expected to be able to stay at school, look at
him now! I think I’ll remember that hug for a very long time.
We meet another boy at the same school who also has Cerebral
Palsy. He looks healthy and happy – different from the shy withdrawn little boy
we met in February. He talks to us, plays happily with his classmates – he likes
to play football and is walking better. GCare only provides transport to
school, he walks home for the exercise. The system seems to be working.
We’re thrilled as we climb back into the car and set off further
West. We pass tall eucalyptus trees, banana and coffee plantations, and small
trading centres by the roadside which serve the villages situated further into
the hills. We meet Glory. A little girl with severe kyphoscoliosis. Before the
project she was isolated at home, had no social interaction and was somewhat neglected.
She’s still shy with us, but we all agree she looks more healthy – Global Care pays
for her to have lunch. GCare built latrines at this school too.
The school is so delighted that they allow
Glory to attend school for free. They recognise that it is because of her that
they have a proper concrete toilet block, latrines are no longer housed in ramshackle
huts. Although Glory’s life has radically changed for the better, she needs
more surgical assessment – and money is short for medical treatment. This visit
highlights two challenges, getting builders to construct latrines to standard specifications,
and the high number of disabled children who require costly surgical or medical
interventions to correct deformities and/or prolong life.
Our next visit is more difficult. Charles parks the car and
we step up a high ledge then climb a narrow steep uneven path through gardens to
reach a modest house. A small boy who is clearly disabled is sitting alone outside.
I said this would be mostly positive, but this is a tough visit. Martin’s
father comes home to meet us, and we discuss how we might be able to help
Martin. We think there are ways his life could be improved but there is much to
sort out before we can think of school. We'll spend time developing a plan
when we’re in the office at the end of the week.
We visit two children at different schools, Mark and Mary,
both with congenital lower limb reductions – one leg which didn’t develop
properly. We discuss their walking aids. I say ‘discuss’… Ugandan discussions
are protracted and heated. We can’t seem to get anyone to translate for us so at
both schools I wander off and distract the other children by taking photos and
showing them the results to great hilarity.
When we’re ready to leave the last school, we give Mary a
lift home. She’s a bit tense as its her first ride in a car. Worryingly, the
children at the school follow us. We’re their first white people and the car a
huge novelty. Charles gets out and chases them away. They follow at a distance.
When the car stops, Moses lifts Mary out and she races off down a hill hopping on
her crutches carefully negotiating rocks and plants. We follow her and greet
her Grandmother, Mary’s carer since she was a baby. Tom and Moses go to inspect
the small basic latrine GCare built at the home. Mary’s Grandmother thanks us
for all Global Care has done for the family. They appreciate GCare so much, they never
expected to have their own latrine or for Mary to go to school. Tom brings our
finger puppets Bob the Mouse and Molly the Sheep to play with Mary. Her face
lights up and we decide its time for Molly to move on. She can stay and be a
friend for Mary. Mary tells us that she will love Molly and care for her…
As we walk back to the car the whole village comes to wave
goodbye. What a day! We’ve seen incredible transformations in the lives of
disabled children and their families, and whole communities who’ve benefited
from the latrines. None of this would be possible without Global Care, without Moses
and Penelop, or without the people who supported fundraising appeals and became
project partners. Our last visit of the day is to a disabled councillor at a
trading centre to discuss mobility and toilet aids. As we leave, he thanks the
4 of us for caring about the people he represents, for loving disabled people.
This project is about equality and justice, ‘no-one left behind’.
I’m going to
put a photo of John up in my office, that hug is a testimony to the power of
the love and care Global Care has for disabled children. A hug that makes
working for Global Care a joyful privilege.
*All the names are made up to protect identity
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