Help 106 Children w/Disabilities THRIVE Kenya

This report entails the progress, milestones achieved and challenges of the home in the second quarter of the year, to the period ending August 2022. It had been a challenging period, accompanied with cold weather and electioneering period in our country. We thank God for protecting and being with us all the way, with few cases of illness being observed with the cold season. There also has been a peaceful atmosphere through the election period but a major down turn in our economy with hiking prices for the basic consumer products.

The report is subdivided into the various core departments in the running of the organization which includes:

• Education
• Health and medication (physiotherapy and occupational therapy services)
• Palliative care
• Sustainable projects
• Financial statement

EDUCATION
This period marked the second term of the education calendar year. There was great flow in the children’s classroom with the teachers engaging children in the different programs offered in the institution. Children who attend outside special schools were also able to continue their education. Education is a powerful tool for empowering children with special needs. Through a well curated individual education program for every child, the following were the success stories noted:

• An increased number of children learning to read and write
• Children specializing with the various vocational trainings have improved on their individual skills, which include: beadwork, mat weaving, music, farming skills, cosmetology and pastry.
• A number of children have improved on their speech with a great number learning on healthy communication skills.
• A great number of children have embraced a sense of responsibility, personal hygiene, self-care, dressing themselves, bathing, and cloth washing among many more activities of daily living.
• Children integrated to other schools are doing well with majority of them progressing well with their educational programs.
• The education programs focus on the social and spiritual aspect of a child’s life, there has been a noted upward trend among the children, with a major group improving their social interactions and changing their perception of life as a person with disability.

HEALTH AND MEDICATION
This period was characterized by cold weather conditions in most of the days. The cold weather is a challenging situation to most children with special needs as they require constant care to avoid opportunistic illness and convulsions.

Daily medication drugs were available with heaters installed in the classrooms and dormitories. The caregivers were also proactive on the children’s daily routine and wellbeing. Physiotherapy services progressed well with an addition of an extra resident physiotherapist. The number of children receiving therapy sessions on a day was closely monitored while observing that various occupational activities were undertaken regularly.

Physiotherapy and occupational therapy is the backbone to most of our programs, as it is essential to avoid inactiveness and degradation in most of the children with cerebral palsy and physical handicap. Through these programs the following are the milestones achieved in the life of the children:

• Increased physical activities in most children with physical disabilities and cerebral palsy.
• Reduced number of reported convulsion attacks and opportunistic illness among the children.
• Improvement in their postures, and muscle strength. 
• Most of the children are embracing healthy sitting positions.
• Observed few cases of reported accidents and injuries.
• Reduced muscle stiffness among children and improved feeding among children with cerebral palsy.

SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS
Sustainability is a central component of our organization strategy: we’re working to create a more sustainable future for children and young adults living with disabilities. We’ve already adapted large areas of our operations, and our strategy for the next 5 years will see us continue a program of transformation in everything we do.

As custodians of over 100 children with various special needs, we have a responsibility to operate as sustainably as possible. Our aim is to empower each and every child in our care and in the process equip them with the necessary skills. We are doing that by transforming how we work, improving efficiency and developing income generating projects in the organization.

Sustainable projects in the organization are meant to support the monthly running budget of the organization and also a platform for children to acquire farming and entrepreneurship skills. For the past years the focus of the organization was to strengthen these projects so as to increase the output and reduce the running costs.

During this period the projects suffered a low downturn which is attributed to rising feed prices for the poultry and dairy animals. Produce from these projects has slowed down but we are putting some measures to uplift the projects.

FINANCIAL BUDGET

Amount received: 174,084.78- 27/05/2022

1. Dairy and poultry feeds 65,600

2. medication 38,500

3. Dry food stuff 52, 800

4. Fruits and vegetables 17,000

Subtotal 173,900 

Amount received: 43,331.31- 08/07/2022 

1. Medicine 23,500

2. Dry food stuffs 19,800

Subtotal 43,300 

SPECIAL APPRECIATION

We would like to appreciate the donors through the GlobalGiving foundation for you continuous support through the years, through your funding we have been able to move closer to the vision of the organization, we have also experienced a great improvement on the sustainable development projects with your funding. May God bless you as we continue to walk on this journey of disability together, through your regular funding 103 children at Compassionate Hands are able to afford a smile. 

Executive summary

This report pertains to the implementation period of the programme from March 2022 to May 2022 and reflects the progress achieved by the compassionate hands for the disabled education in partnership with GlobalGiving foundation, in terms of the intermediate outcomes. The programme partnership entails sustainable project funding.

Through the support from the partnership we are able to boost the running cost of the projects while maximizing the output, which on the hand is used to ensure children with special needs are able to acquire the necessary care they need. The sustainable projects are a key future for the independence of the organization in the future while also playing a key role in empowering the beneficiaries.

To understand whether the projects are on track to deliver against its outcomes, the performance of the project for the period March – May is reported on the basis of the progress achieved by the key beneficiaries in three core areas that are central to the mission and vision of the organization, they include:

1. Education and a disability friendly environment

2. Therapy and rehabilitation

3. Health plan and palliative care

The target beneficiaries in the organization include 105 children with the various disabilities; cerebral palsy, physical disabilities, visually handicapped, the deaf and dumb, muscular dystrophy, spinal bifida, down syndrome, autism and mentally handicapped.

Project Implementation

It has been a challenging time in our country for the last months, the standard of living is rising up with commodity prices rising up. In the organization its business as usual, trying our best to offer every child in our institution with the necessary needs. The main core programs in the institution include:

• Palliative care: children are offered the best care they need with caregivers assigned 24/7. We try to offer a stable environment for the growth and development of the children.

• Health care plan: children with special needs require access to proper health care, a number of the children require daily maintenance drugs to maintain their stability while they also require regular clinical checkups.
  
  
• Rehabilitation activities: we offer physiotherapy and rehabilitation activities this are a set of interventions designed to optimize functioning and reduce disability in individuals with health conditions in interaction with their environment. We also recommend a healthy diet for the children to strengthen the bones and muscle structures.
  
  
• Education: we offer an individual education program for every child depending on their needs.

Impact of the programs to the children

• Through the programs there have been an increased number of children learning to do different activities of daily living. The programs have helped minimize the disability effect on most of the children. There has been a reduced impact of broad range of health conditions among many children.
• Children are able to have a healthy diet which enables their participation in the different projects, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables supplement are an essential for the growth and development of children.
• Improved health conditions among the children, with many maintaining a stable health state
• A stable living condition for children with special needs, with access to an inclusive education curriculum and support system from loving caregivers.
• There have also been a reduced number of children using diapers with many of them learning proper toileting practices.

SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS

In recent times we are experiencing high prices in the cost of poultry and dairy feeds, with GlobalGiving funding we were able to maximize the our running costs consequently maintaining a steady supply of output from the various projects.

Dairy project- through the project there has been a steady supply of milk for the children

Poultry project- through the project the children are able to have eggs regularly

Greenhouse project-through the project we are able to produce tomatoes and green vegetables hence reducing the food budget in the institution.

Water project- through the project children are able to receive pure clean water, while also it acts as a gateway to provide awareness to the community by selling water.

The proceeds from the projects is used to facilitate the running cost of the projects while the surplus has been used to provide a weekly supply of fruits and medication for the children. A number of children have also learnt valuable agricultural skills; it is a good learning experience for those interested in agricultural practices.

Challenges experienced

1. Ricing in price commodities of commodities.

2. A number of children require assistive devices such as wheel chairs, the need for learning resources and other rehabilitation devices.

3. Need for expansion of land to serve as open play ground for the children, expansion for program rooms and also additional input to the sustainable projects of the organization.

GlobalGiving funding

Amount received- KES 37,396.92

Dairy and poultry feeds budget:

1. Dairy meal 5x50kg bags 2,300 ea = 11,500

2. Layers mash 5x50kg bags 2,200 ea =  11,000

3. Growers mash 5x50kg bags 2,350 ea = 11,750

4. Macklick super 3 X10Kg pack 1,040 ea = 3,120

Subtotal  KES 37,370

Appreciation

Thank you Family GlobalGiving for your great generosity! We, at Compassionate hands for the disabled, greatly appreciate your donation, and your sacrifice. Your support helps to further our mission through palliative care, health care plan, rehabilitation services and education. Your support is invaluable to us, thank you again!