Beyond Disability

Project Name:        Beyond Disability

Agency:                   Baptist World Aid Australia

Country:                  Bangladesh

Tax Status:             Tax Deductible

Target:                    $39 400.00

RAISED:                   $40,261.93               






PROJECT UPDATE:

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Gymea Baptist Church,

Nomoshkar and greetings from Bangladesh! Baptist World Aid Australia wrote and told us of your May Missions Month, we are pleased to write you to tell you about the situation of our program, and how we are using the money you so generously donated.  We were very glad to hear about how you raised funds for us, and were so encouraged to hear about how interested your church has become in our work with people with disabilities.

  .... Click here to read this inspiring letter.



PROJECT OUTLINE:

People living with a disability in the villages of Mymensingh (a poor district of Bangladesh) are often neglected and oppressed in many ways in the community as well as within their own families.  Superstition surrounding disability and paralysis means that the disabled are often ostracised from their communities.  Consequently, in these situations where help and support from community is most needed, disabled people are often left alone. This project aims to reduce the social stigma and vulnerability of people living with disabilities, increase their financial independence, and promote their human rights. Activities include functional education, skills training, sign language for children, living skills for children with intellectual disabilities, and the provision of assistive devices as required. 

Some of the specific activities and objectives include:

1.    Economic     

 430 group members will participate in skill development training to build up their capacity to become self sufficient (this may include Literacy Classes, Income Generating Activities, Vocational Training, Nutrition Education, etc.).

·         100 group members will successfully raise their family income to 1000tk per month using savings based loans in different income generating activities.

2.    Health

·         500 members will participate in training on summer and winter vegetable gardening to meet the needs of nutrition as well as to earn extra family income.

·         150 children under five will have their growth monitored to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition and parent’s awareness raised of children’s health conditions.

·         Four farming demonstration plots will be developed to encourage modern farming methods.

·         100 members will receive training on how to make cost effective sanitary latrines.

·         60 members will receive treatment through a new satellite physiotherapy centre.

·         Community workshops on the causes of preventable disabilities.

3.    Social

·         Human rights and justice community workshops, working to remove social barriers and increase integration of people living with a disability into the community. 

·         Weekly awareness/educational sessions among local students to provide lessons on Human Rights and Justice issues.

·         Increase acceptance of people living with a disability through equipping them with social and economic skills.

4.    Education

·         2 education centres established (1 for speech and hearing impaired and 1 for intellectually disabled children).

·         150 adults living with a disability will take part in literacy and numeracy classes.

·         30 children living with a disability will participate in sign language classes.

·         15 intellectually disabled children and their families will participate in special activities designed to help them learn how to do day to day activities, for example eating, cleaning their teeth, visiting the bathroom, traveling on public transport.