Outreach at Good Shepherd

The outreach programme at Good Shepherd is a new programme which was started by Dr Pat Scampion and is taking the skill and experience at Good Shepherd out to the people who live too far away from Fort portal for their children to be able to get there.

It will be add to the vocational work which as also started and which will equip the children with real and valuable skills  for life.

 The major aim of this programme is to respond to the challenges as a result of changing the situation in which Children with severe disabilities are facing, more especially in their families and communities, where they are neglected and biased. Most Parents to have such children they take it as a curse, so these children become victims of hatred and they are mistreated, above all not taken to school.

First and foremost, we have started with home visits and see the needs of these Children so that they can benefit from this programme. We teach, sensitize and provide Guidance and Counselling as most Parents are biased.  We shall all also give Mothers skill training, for example, weaving, and tailoring so as to have sources of earning income which will reduce poverty. 

We shall also transport Children to School for special activities such as massage, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, teach Children various games which will help them move and stimulate the nerves.  Teach Mothers who have Children with weak bones and limbs exercises.

OBJECTIVES

·     To create awareness on prevention of diseases such as kwashiorkor by teaching them balanced diet, lack of a balanced diet has caused disabilities in most children.

·     Provide Guidance and Counselling to Parents/Guardians

·     Transport Children to the School for special activities

·     To teach and sensitize parents and youth to build capacity of mutual respect towards Children with disabilities so that they can feel they are worth human being and useful citizens with a future. Also provide democracy, equality and respect for human rights to these vulnerable children and a model for community attitudes towards children with disabilities.

·     To teach, sensitize and guide them on how to care and love their children to make them happy and feel they are loved and cared for, this will help such children to become useful people.

·     To sensitize the parents and guardians the value and importance of their Children in future when they are helped, more especially equipping them with practical skill so that they can be independent citizens with a future.

·     Parents living with HIV need to booster their immunity with body building foods and a proper balanced diet too.

·     To train leaders from those parents and youth so as to train other people in the community, so that there is continuity of what we have taught them.

·     Provide a model Community which can sustain itself in providing basic needs and balanced life in their families.  Parents more especially Mothers acquiring skills, to identify resources around them and put them at good use, which will reduce poverty. And also to have sources of earning income in different projects for their survival and continuity of what we are going to teach them.


written by Sr Theresa Abigaba June 2011