Support & empower 1900+ persons with Down syndrome

Dear Supporters,

While many of our services started physically in the last quarter, KDSP gradually resumed all of its services physically this quarter while ensuring the implementation of strict SOPs and keeping the health and safety of our wonderful stars at top priority. Below mentioned are some of the highlights from this quarter:

Early Childhood Intervention (physical, occupational & speech therapies)

• In-person therapy clinics continued at 50% capacity with 290+ therapy sessions conducted weekly.
• As part of KDSP’s partnership with the ‘Ziauddin College of Speech Language & Hearing Sciences (ZCSLHS)’, Audio-logical Assessments for Children with Down syndrome were introduced from April at subsidized rates to support and enhance the hearing capacity of children with Down syndrome.
• 11 families benefitted from the free Occupational and Speech Therapy training for parents of individuals with Down syndrome conducted by Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).

Healthcare

• 11 families benefitted from the free Behavior Therapy training for parents of individuals with Down syndrome conducted by Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).
• KDSP partnered with an online medical store ‘Dawaai’ to offer benefits in terms of medicines, tests and consultation discounts to the families of children with Down syndrome registered in KDSP’s Family Network.
• 15 individuals with Down syndrome benefitted from the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic hosted by KDSP in June.
• 6 children benefitted from sponsored consultations at AKUH through the donations made to KDSP.
• 12 individuals benefitted from surgeries and other life-saving medical procedures e.g. Cardiac Surgeries and Intestine Obstruction Surgeries at AKUH.

Skills Development

• A variety of programs (Clay Art, Vegetable Planting, Weaving, and Teddy Tennis) resumed physically in June; 140+ children and adults benefitted.
• Zumba classes were started for individuals with Down syndrome to improve fitness and muscle coordination; 8 individuals benefitted.
• 811 handicrafts products were sold and the proceeds were handed over to our talented crafters with Down syndrome.
• KDSP’s E-Commerce Shop featuring products hand-made by our very own crafters was launched on KDSP’s website.

Family Support

• 155+ First Contact Meetings were scheduled with new families for enrollment at KDSP and more than 200 new families were enrolled reaching a total of 1200+ registered families.
• Informational support: 4 Family Support Group sessions have been arranged on topics including Behavior Management, Skincare, Effective Communication Strategies and Parental Involvement benefitting 65+ parents and caregivers.
• Emotional Support: The KDSP Parent-buddy program enabled 17 newly enrolled parents to find emotional strength and support through peer support pairing with experienced parents. An enclosed emotional support group session for parents and caregivers of adults with Down syndrome was also held under the mentorship of a Certified Humanistic Counsellor and Psychotherapist where participants had a discussion regarding their fears, challenges and joys of parenting an adult with Down syndrome.
• Financial Support: 32 families were provided with monthly digital cash transfers, and 77 households were supported through monthly grocery bags.

Education

• 90+ children benefitted from the early preschool, after-school and homeschooling programs. While the students who graduated from the early preschool program will be entering the next phase of mainstream schooling, the rest will continue to benefit from the after-school and homeschool programs that provide assistance for basic-level numeracy and literacy, consolidated with life orientation skills for self-sufficiency and independence.
• 19 new teachers were trained for inclusive education
• 14 students attended the Summer Camp that was conducted in the summer vacations for 4 weeks to help children with color recognition, social and emotional development, and teamwork attributes.

Awareness

• Awareness sessions were conducted with 220+ individuals across different organizations and institutes to ensure the inclusion and acceptance of individuals with Down syndrome within all spheres of society.
• Collaborations were formed with different organizations for disability inclusion by having children with Down syndrome featured in Television Commercials (TVCs) and Digital Video Commercials (DVCs). Short video documentaries were also made depicting the struggles and resilience of parents in overcoming the societal stigma and pressure associated with individuals with Down syndrome within the community.

Some stories from the field:

“The monthly grocery bags and cash transfers received through KDSP help us balance our expenses. We are grateful to God for making KDSP a channel to bridge the gaps in our day to day expenses. We are extremely satisfied with the service and are equally grateful to KDSP.” – shares Mother of Sami

 “I have followed KDSP’s awareness initiatives for up to three years now and never before have I seen an organization that is raising awareness to create a more inclusive society for individuals with Down syndrome. My family also became more understanding of the condition and the developmental interventions Essa would require after they saw some TV shows KDSP was a part of.  I, myself had the opportunity to attend an awareness session by KDSP which debunked a few myths surrounding Down syndrome I possessed.” – expresses Maryam, Mother of Essa

“The services that we received from AKUH were excellent. Dr. Salman and Dr. Babar were very understanding and listened to our concerns carefully. The staff at KDSP was extremely helpful in guiding us.”- shares Mother of Yourasha

“I have seen great improvement in Saeed - his walking and grip has improved a lot now that we are coming in physically for his physical therapy”- shares Mother of Saaed

“Through the carefully structured lesson plans and video tutorials, Kaneez learnt sign language and is now able to communicate her everyday needs to us, and even her feelings. The teachers invested their soul and heart into ensuring a safe, smooth and comfortable learning environment for all the children, even during COVID-19! The day she graduated from Early Preschool was a bittersweet moment for me as a parent; Kaneez is now ready to attend the mainstream school where she is enrolled, and will study alongside typically developing peers her age. I am confident that I will be able to provide a conducive learning environment to her growth in any school, through the information, tools and techniques KDSP empowered me with.” – expresses Ramooz, mother of Kaneez

“We enrolled Taha in multiple schools but none had the capacity to cater to him for long and teachers were unable to put in the effort. In his time at KDSP, he has been a part of many programs. The classes helped him increase his attention span as he is very focused on his tasks. Many of the products Taha has made in his classes have received much recognition via the KDSP Shop. The sales he makes via the shop contribute to his financial independence. Taha is also currently interning at an esteemed dental clinic in Karachi where his supervisors are most pleased with his hard work and determination. He is very excited about his work there and has great plans on how he will spend his stipend. KDSP has provided us with great support.” – expresses Hafsa, sister of Taha.

All of this has only been possible because of the constant support and love you have shown towards KDSP. With your continuous patronage, KDSP hopes to bring forward many more success stories and eventually a world where individuals with Down syndrome are accepted, included and celebrated!

Love,

Team KDSP

Links:

• KDSP E-commerce Shop