They start with small steps, but those are big leaps in their lives – moments to rejoice for themselves, for their parents and for their carers. Children who have been visiting Shishu Sarothi’s Early Intervention Centre in Goalpara for the last one and half year, funded by SESTAA from Melbourne, have by now many successful stories to tell:
1. Nur Alom Islam, a one year ten months child had first visited our Early Intervention Centre on May 9 2015. The child has cerebral palsy right Hemiplegic and could not walk by himself. But after getting therapy in the centre he can now stand and walk without any support.
2. Khanjan Ray visited the Early Intervention Centre when he was 2 year 7 months old. The child has Cerebral Palsy and could not walk. Now he is starting to walk after getting proper therapy in the centre.
3. Zakir Hussain, one year and six month old child, is monoplegic (left U/l). His first visit was on September 19 2015. After getting therapy the child is now able to walk.
4. Rizwan Sheikh was born on 25.11.15. The child first visited the Early Intervention Centre on February 27 2016. He was a high risk baby and he was referred to the centre by a paediatric surgeon. After getting support in the centre, the child can now sit and crawl.
5. Reshma Rahman, born on 12/2/16, was brought to the Centre by her parents on doctor’s advice. The child came to the centre on March 5 2016 and due to cerebral palsy could not move her hands freely. But now after therapy sessions, she can move her limbs properly.
6. Pritam Ray, a four year child first visited in our Centre on June 11 2016. The child has cerebral palsy right Hemiplegic. It is so impressive that within a short period of support from our end now the child can walk properly.
These and other similar stories keep coming in. Funded by SESTAA and with technical support and therapists from Shishu Sarothi, Guwahati, the Early Intervention centre in Goalpara has made a noticeable difference in people’s lives in the area. Word has spread about the centre and people are coming from far and wide, seeking the support and help provided by the centre for their children.
To think that all this has been possible because of the support of Melburnians from Australia and in a time period of 16 months when 43 outreach camps were held by Shishu Sarothi and attended by more than 800 children visits at an average of 20 children per day.
The stories continue from Cinnamara, Jorhat where the villagers wait for Prerona’s Field Workers (funded by SESTAA), Masoom Gowala and Susanta Gogoi. Through regular home visits made by these field workers in the past of couple of years, they are helping the disabled in the remote villages to learn daily living skills, provide counselling and assistance to avail government benefits, provide assistance to attend school, teach personal care as well as household work and have become a familiar and reliable resource person. Prerona’s psychologist and speech therapist (also funded by SESTAA) have become a regular support service to children, parents and teachers in the school. Children are taught different strategies to manage their behaviour, parents are taught how to manage their children at home and teachers are trained in various therapeutic skills for dealing with the children. Music therapy has become an integral part of the children’s developmental curriculum now.
In Shishugreh, Guwahati, the salary support provided for hiring an additional nurse for care of the disabled children has given that extra attention and care for the children that they would have been otherwise deprived.
Confucius once said, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop”. The support of Melburnians has taken SESTAA’s funding this far; now it is not the time to stop but to continue the effort and expand to reach more and more. Please support SESTAA’s future fundraising activities.