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The programme is aimed at improving the quality of life of disabled children and youth by facilitating their integration into mainstream society. This programme responds to an apparent exclusion of children and youth with disabilities within the mainstream society, alienating and depriving them of development opportunities, inter alia
- Early childhood care and development opportunities
- The opportunity to attend school and receive a general education
- Participation in social outings and interactions
- Partaking in household chores and other family life activities The prioritisation of this programme area in this turn-around strategy represents a new focus to accelerate the efforts of inclusion. The focus is on promoting implementation of policy reforms, while reinforcing rights based service delivery and increasing access to services. NMCF drives and supports an inclusion agenda and care models that promote dignified existence for children and youth living with disabilities as legitimate citizens with rights. Advocacy is a major tool to realise objectives in this programme area. The Fund’ efforts reflect support for a series of innovation attempts promoting inclusion in the mainstream of societal life through: - Moving away from funding institution/centre based care to supporting efforts to integrate children and youth into the mainstream society;
- Developing and pilot-testing models for appropriate parenting skills; and
- Increasing access to diagnostic services; and
- Advocating for policy implementation in general, for example in the area of access to education as a basic right. The aim seeks to increase both the number and range of opportunities available to young people increasing their opportunities to exist within their communities. The anticipated end result is reduced marginalisation of children and youth with disabilities, with them existing in an environment that allows them to develop their full potential. Efforts in this regard are being pitched at creating circumstances at community level that reflect a shift from exclusion, tolerance and accommodation to fully inclusive and mutually supportive communities that value the competence of children and youth with disabilities. NMCF is currently supporting the following illustrative activities: - Collaboration with the Department of Education, as well as identifying and supporting other structures and processes involved in implementing inclusive ECCD.
- Monitoring and evaluating levels of inclusion and meaningful participation in schools
- Monitoring and evaluating of the provision of care services within the framework of a social model
- Engaging the Department of Health, medical /professional institutions and other care givers to determine weaknesses in applying the social model Beneficiary groups for this programme are children and youth with a certain level of disability. These are children and youth with capacities and capabilities that could be enhanced. - Children with disabilities
Main objective
To improve quality of life of children and youth with disabilities by facilitating their integration into mainstream society Programme objectives
Increased access to existing government services for children and youth with disabilities. Inclusion of children and youth with disabilities in mainstream schools, and in arts,cultural, sporting, leadership and other activities. Foster appropriate care services provided to children and youth with disabilities Highlight disability issues pertaining to children and youth as mainstreamed in the Fund's programmes and activities. Beneficiaries Bonginhlanhla Stimulation Centre (BSC)
Based in Mpumalanga , BSC works to ensure that every child is developed to its full potential. It was started in 1999 to provide centre-based care to children with physical and mental disabilities. The stimulation programme is carried out with support from the provincial hospital that provides the professional services of a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and speech therapist. Trained community rehabilitation facilitators under the supervision of a social worker help the children and youth with disabilities to be independent and acquire skills for sustainable livelihoods. This project was selected mainly because of its outreach to under-resourced communities. Chaeli Campaign
The Chaeli Campaign started in 2004 by siblings and friends of a 9-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. The aim was to raise funds for a wheelchair for the girl named Chaeli. The Campaign raised funds beyond its expectations and as a result proceeded to raise funds for other children, and has to date distributed wheelchairs and positioners to other children with disabilities. The Chaeli Campaign, energised by the maxim "Administered by Adults; Powered by Kids" is the only NPO in SA founded by children. It has the original junior committee of children aged between 7 - 14 years to promote and work for the campaign. It is currently primarily based in the Western Cape - smaller scale activities in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng .
Forest Town Foundation
Forest Town is a Johannesburg based non-profit organisation focusing on the upliftment of children and people with special needs and those who care for them through projects involving education, treatment, skills training and recreation for children and youth and training for service providers. Ikhwezi Lokusa Home
Ikhwezilokusa Home is a community-based project, initiated by parents of children living with disability in 1994. The organisation is situated in De Deur near Meyerton, Vereeniging. The majority of the parents are single and unemployed, some of the children are abandoned and some are orphans. The organisation aims to facilitate capacity building for various service providers enabling them to provide holistic, integrated and value adding services to children and youth living with disabilities. Rivoni Society for the Blind
RSB is based at Elim ( Limpopo ) and services visually impaired persons as well as community members. A popularly elected council of 11 community members governs it. Primary among its objectives is to address issues of support for access to education, economic opportunities and the building of self-esteem. Operational for the past 30 years, it has given hope and independence to over 1500 visually impaired persons. Its activities are aimed at enabling visually impaired persons to achieve equality of access and opportunity that will ensure freedom of choice and association in life. SAMBT
SAMBT, an outreach and training organisation, was formed in 1998. Its target group is blind and partially sighted people, and children in particular. It operates nationally and in areas that are under-served or not served, especially rural and township areas. It specializes in independence training and this includes orientation and mobility training and activities of daily living (ADL). Its primary objectives are to facilitate social integration, early support to children, training of Orientation and Mobility (O&M) instructors and to address the needs of blind and visually impaired persons in disadvantaged communities.
Star Uplifting Centre
The Star Upliftment Centre provides integrated early childhood education in the Dimbaza and surrounding districts of Kings Williams Town. The grant is used for the integration of disabled children into mainstream society. Sunshine Centre
Sunshine Centre Association (SCA) is a Johannesburg based organisation initiated to capacitate, support and provide information to emerging and existing organisations providing services to children and youth with disability. The organisation works within a developmental model that incorporates partnerships between communities and families. The role players within the partnerships are parents, siblings, caregivers, volunteers and the community at large, with the child with disabilities being the pivotal point of focus within the collaborative system. The grant is used to train and support 10 organisations in under resourced communities in the area of Elsburg to enable them to provide a professional service and improve the quality of life of children and youth living with disability. The Association of Rehabilitation for people with Disability (REHAB)
In 1997 the Societies for Metal Health, Physical Disability and Blind disbanded to form REHAB in order to provide and integrated service to all people with disabilities and extend services to rural areas. The vision of REHAB is an inclusive society through the promotion of independent living and the integration of people with disability into mainstream society. The REHAB primary target group is children with disability and newly disabled adults. Integration recognises individuals, parents, teachers, key role players and the community. Project funding is sought for Eastern Cape to integrate children with disabilities into mainstream schools. The grant is used for the facilitation of mainstream education for 30 children with disabilities. The Centre for Deaf Studies
Established in 1999, the Centre for Deaf Studies was born out of an identified need in deafness and deaf education in particular as it affects the South African deaf community. It has two central objectives; namely, to facilitate academic tuition on courses (formal training and upgrading of teachers of the deaf) and, to ensure effective community service within the greater deaf community. The grant is for the Early Intervention Programme. In addition to working with teachers of the deaf, the centre aims to equip parents of deaf children and the greater deaf community with the necessary knowledge and skills to foster equal opportunities for the SA deaf community. W.C. Forum for Intellectual Disability
The Western Cape Forum for Intellectual Disability is an umbrella body encompassing 142 special care centres, school for learners with special educational needs, protective workshops, residential homes and organisations involved in the field of intellectual disability in the Western Cape . It started 34 years ago as a small group of concerned parents. Their mission is to be a supportive network for service providers in the field of intellectual disability. Special Olympics South Africa Special Olympics South Africa was formed by Special by Sports Olympics Inc of the United States of America. Its mandate is to intergrate children with intellectual disability in mainstream society using sport as a tool.
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