Sheilah Sheldone Arts for Social Change CBO was founded by community members in Mombasa county to support the dreams of a child prodigy, Sheilah Sheldone Charles to impact on the lives of children suffering from neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in her community through her creative work involving painting. Neurodevelopmental disorders include; autism spectrum disorders, down syndrome, as well as cerebral palsy. Sheilah is 10 years old. She is a great painter, a model, a poet, and a designer.
Globally, one in 160 children has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to the World Health Organization. In Kenya, an estimate 3 in 100 children are living with cerebral palsy. Parents of children with autism experience common challenges including stigma, lack of appropriate treatment, financial and caring burdens. It is therefore Sheilah's dream to work with families of children with neurodevelopmental disorders through her Artistry.
Establish an Art Gallery and Resource Centre for display and exhibition of arts by Sheilah Sheldone and budding artists including children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Establish a state-of-the-art therapy center for rehabilitation and sensory stimulation for cognitive development of children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Facilitate community dialogue and awareness creation on autism, down syndrome, and cerebral palsy for increased identification, assessment and referrals.
At the end of this project, there will be; a) Increased identification, assessment and referral of children with autism, cerebral palsy, and down syndrome in Mombasa County. b) Increased access to education and rehabilitation for children with autism, cerebral palsy, and down syndrome in Mombasa County. c) Responsive mentorship programme for children and youth from neurodevelopmental disorders family towards Art promotion and employment opportunities.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
