The program started with some stories from the parents about their challenges taking care of their children with special needs, and some pointed out that there was a silver lining in each cloud. One parent praised her child as being very honest and steadfast to the point that she trusted her child with the day to day sales at her shop more than any other worker. Another parent talked about how her special needs child and her other children shared housework among themselves and did it diligently, reducing the burden on her shoulders, and that her other children also chipped in to take care of their special need sibling, making her responsibilities theirs. On the other hand, one parent explained that it was best if the parents and family members cared for their children or supervised their care closely so as not to be in her shoes where her non-verbal child’s progress had been reversed drastically after being left in the total care of another caretaker.
On the twenty-eight day of the last month of the year, the Social Welfare Department of the Tema West Municipality organized a program for the special needs children in the municipality and their parents. This get-together was organized to encourage caregivers, their children and support them in cash and kind. With donations from governmental and non-governmental bodies, no parent or child went home empty-handed and there were smiles all over. To show their gratitude, the parents and children participated in a little talent show that showed that they were just as talented as any other child on earth.
The Head of the Social Welfare unit then took the floor to once again remind parents of how blessed they were to parent these special ones and that God knew why he did what he did. She praised them for not doing as others and abandoning their children, but being steadfast in taking care of their children. She also spoke about how little funding they got from the government to care for families with special need members and thus thanked all donators profusely for their support. The Autism and Special Needs Foundation and others were listed as donators. Over ten 50 kilo bags of rice, three large boxes of mackerel, packs of soft drinks, boxes of hand sanitizers, massage slippers, packs of food and snacks to be munched on during the program were among the donations made on that day with many more on their way.
Dorcas Akyeampong Boadi, the founder for the Autism and Special Needs Foundation spoke briefly at the get-together, giving season’s greetings to those gathered and words of encouragements to the parents to be proud of themselves and reach out to the foundation for any help they might need as the foundation was put in place for their sake.
During the program, a boy with special needs volunteered to capture the moment on paper with his pencil and before the presentation of gifts and donations, he had finished a realistic drawing of the program and was praised for his artistic abilities. There was an impromptu talent show with the children displaying their love and talents for singing, dancing and even rapping.
After each family was presented with their share of the donations, the Head of The Social Welfare unit also presented some gifts to her staff in appreciation for their hard work and to encourage them that their labour was not in vain.
In the course of the gathering, when there was a short break during which the presentation was being made, volunteers for the foundation went round and had a little interaction with the parents gathered there. Through this little conversation, it was derived that these families suffered hardships in two main areas; first being that they had very little finances to cater to the expensive ailments their children suffered from. From expensive consultations to expensive medications. One parent even said that she had to take her child of a medication that was helping him because they was no money to pay for it.
The second hardship that these families faced was the discrimination their children experienced in the academic world. Some of the children with special needs did not attend school because of their condition, but those who did were basically ignored by the teaching staff and their peers. According to the parents their children were not taken care of as they should be as their right. Their admission into the school is basically an example of Tokenism. As their children are being neglected at school, parents are forced to withdraw the child. But this does not help as now the parent has dedicate their time to the care of the child, leaving little to no time for them to work and pay for their expenses. It is our hope at the foundation that through awareness creation these difficulties our marginalized friends go through would be taking care of by the public at large in any way that could help lessen their burden.
All in all, it was a very great day. No family went home sad or disappointed, the children were very happy and excited and all those present left the grounds feeling fulfilled and rejuvenated to help once again in the future.
