A local mother, who is a development worker for the Grahamstown Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD), is hoping to start a cerebral palsy day care centre in Grahamstown.
A local mother, who is a development worker for the Grahamstown Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD), is hoping to start a cerebral palsy day care centre in Grahamstown.
Millicent Manana has dedicated her life to people, especially the young living with disabilities. The mother of a child with speech delays, she started as a volunteer and is now with the APD, a nationwide NGO. She aims to start a cerebral palsy day care centre in Grahamstown soon.
Manana receives no salary and with only a passion to assist children with disabilities, visits the homes of disabled children daily.
She recently attended a cerebral palsy training programme run by the Cerebral Palsy Association at the Sunshine Centre in Johannesburg, which brings hope for children with disabilities.
It was a practical and hands-on course organised by the National Council and funded by Lotto, centering around the development of children with disabilities and delays. Topics included family reaction to disabilities, the importance of play, and caring for your child.
Manana is now eager to open a day care centre for children affected by cerebral palsy. "One of the things that we walked away with from the course was that we would strive to open a cerebral palsy day care centre at each of our home towns," she said.
"You will see parents taking their children with cerebral palsy to centres as far as Port Elizabeth, or keeping them in their homes which prevents interaction with other children."
She envisions the Grahamstown centre as a central point where qualified health workers like therapists, doctors and students would be able to volunteer their time in assisting parents and their children.The centre would cater for children with cerebral palsy by addressing their developmental delays, monitoring their growth, and developing their gross and motor fine functions, social skills and communication skills.
It would be designed around a suitable education programme,with materials and equipment available to meet the children's different requirements. "We aim to start the centre next year with the help of parents, and we can work together in affording every child with the opportunity to fulfil his or her potential," she said.
A lack of funding means Manana has been unable to secure a building. A recent APD AGM revealed the organisation is only functional from donors' cash donations and the annual Casual Day event. According to Agata Runowicz of APD Grahamstown, it is an independent branch of the nationwide APD, but cannot expect funding from the National Council body. They have however applied for funding from organisations and government bodies such as Social Development and are now awaiting responses.
"There is a wealth of evidence at the developmental clinic by the rehabilitation programme at the Department of Health, as well as from APD documents that many children and their families would benefit from this initiative," said Runowicz. For more information or to assist in this initiative, Millicent Manana can be reached on 083 694 8840 or 046 622 5359.
