MAITS will work with 2 partners, Cerebral Palsy Sri Lanka and Satya Special School in India to train 30 therapists in resource poor regions to support children with developmental disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome and autism. Local teams of therapists will train 150 Community Health Workers across 4 districts in Sri Lanka and 5 regions in South India reaching 800 families over 12 months. The families will benefit by learning how best to meet the needs of their children.
150 million children in the world have a disability and they face exclusion in most areas of their lives. They are "more than twice as likely to report finding health care providers' skills inadequate to meet their needs" (WHO). In India and Sri Lanka, there is a scarcity of skilled community health workers able to support children and families in their own homes. This has worsened since the pandemic, as frontline services are stretched and those with disabilities get left behind.
Our Community Healthworker pilot won a merit at the World Cerebral Palsy Awards 2018. MAITS will roll out training around practical and life saving techniques to families of children with developmental difficulties in their own homes. Our highly qualified expert trainers train workers and parents/carers the techniques to address feeding issues, build strength, speech and independence, improving the quality of life for all children with a range of disabilities from cerebral palsy to autism.
MAITS believe in community-led change. Our programme works in partnership with Cerebral Palsy, Lanka and Satya School India, to address a critical skills gap. We will train 30 Master trainers in resource poor regions 150 Community Healthworkers across 4 districts in Sri Lanka and 5 regions in South India Reach and improve quality of lives for 800 families with special needs over 12 months
