Arriving at Center ‘Amis des pauvres’ Literally means ‘Inshuti z’abakene’ at Gahanga Sector, Kicukiro District, the first things you hear are unusual voices and sounds of disabled children screeching with the eke out of their mental dysfunctions and abnormalities.
They are there with unique mental state, joint deformations and bodily complications. Fortunately, they got a helping hand from the diaspora women and without this they would have been dead or get more critical conditions.
The seemingly emotional scene pictures of the disabled children are what triggered the sympathy of a group of diaspora women based in Sweden grouped in the association of Rwandan women association in Sweden (RWAS) who decided not keep on a deaf ear in time of need.
“You see now his normal part of the brain remaining is measured an inch all other parts of the brain were eaten away with water. He is suffering from hydrocephalous disease,” the caregiver nurse said.
Inside the house, there is a stammering disabled boy with a big head who is suffering from Autism. He takes almost a minute to pronounce a word due to difficultness in speech, stammers and finally communicates his expression but in hardness.
Surprisingly, he uses a computer, read and communicate technically with others like his teacher.
The list of diseases and terrible conditions of deformities is not exhaustive as others suffer from a wide range of mental complications including autism, Cerebral palis, hydrocephalic, Tetraplegia among other that had crippled the growth and brain function of the children.
Inspiration
According to Rosemary Mukankusi, the chairperson of the Rwandan women in the diaspora said they were driven by the need to help the unprivileged children with mental disabilities by understanding keeping quiet in time of need is equal to a crime.
“While in Sweden we thought about coming to our country and impact our society in Rwanda. This is where in 2009 we started providing the centre with foods, medicine clothes, specific materials to use while at the centre and school materials among others,” she says.
She emphasized that after visiting the centre children were living in poor condition and their life was at stake then they decided to help those children as they can.
She adds disabled children deserve well-being and all the basic needs a normal person is entitled too.
“We started with 420,000 Rwf to help disabled children access to medicine with foods, saucepans, basins, wheelchairs and gradually capital increased slowly,” Furaha Umutoni Alida, a member of the (Rwanda Women Association in Sweden (RWAS), said.
Despite, some members of the groups live in Sweden they but usually make sure that children get materials they miss like computers, blind machines, recorders to help them study without complications as well as attaining inclusive education.
“We were moved by the need to remove children from lonely life which before they could remain at home and didn’t go to school,” she says.
Solange kamikaze is among of the children with disabilities suffering from Tetraplegia, for him, no matter the situation they are living in, she is hopeful to work in offices, marry and give birth.
The Express News
