Therapy for 50 Children with Disability in Nigeria

Dear Valued Partner,

This quarter, we made meaningful strides toward empowering people with disabilities and their caregivers to take charge of their health rights and become active advocates in their communities. Thanks to your continued support, we successfully implemented the program titled:
“Empowering Self-Advocacy in Special Needs Communities for Better Health Services.”

1. Building a Stronger Voice: Self-Advocacy Training

We convened a dynamic group of stakeholders and individuals with disabilities for a one-day advocacy and awareness training. The focus of the event was to help participants understand their rights, communicate their needs effectively, and engage with the health system more confidently.

This was a powerful opportunity for learning, connection, and collective visioning.

Training covered topics such as:

• Understanding health rights for persons with disabilities

• Navigating healthcare systems with confidence

• Building inclusive communities through self-advocacy

• Storytelling for change and representation

Participants left the session feeling empowered, seen, and equipped to take the next step in advocating for themselves and others within the special needs community.

2. Ongoing Therapy for Children with Cerebral Palsy

While advancing our advocacy efforts, we also continued to deliver daily therapy services to the 17 children currently under our care. These children many of whom have faced neglect or abandonment receive individualized therapy that supports their physical, emotional, and social development.

Services provided include:

• Physical and occupational therapy

• Social interaction and play-based learning

• Emotional and psychosocial support

We are seeing steady progress in motor coordination, emotional regulation, and confidence. Parents and caregivers have also expressed gratitude for the consistency and love shown to their children.

Impact at a Glance

 Stakeholders and individuals with disabilities trained on self-advocacy
 Improved awareness of disability rights and inclusive health access
 Sustained therapeutic care for 17 children with cerebral palsy
 Renewed commitment to inclusion and dignity for all

Challenges

 Funding constraints limit how many people we can reach with advocacy training
 Rising operational costs impact our ability to maintain therapy services at scale
Transportation barriers continue to affect access to programs for some families

Looking Ahead

We are energized by the momentum from this quarter and remain committed to expanding the self-advocacy initiative and maintaining high-quality therapy services. With your continued support, we hope to:

• Host more advocacy sessions in underserved communities

• Train caregivers on inclusive health rights and practices

• Provide mobility aids and therapy tools to children in need

Thank you for helping us change lives, shift systems, and build a world where every child and adult with a disability is seen, heard, and valued.

Dear Valued partner

At SECHILD Center, we are dedicated to creating a safe, nurturing environment for children in Nigeria living with Cerebral Palsy (CP) many of whom have endured years of abandonment, neglect, and malnutrition.

Since our founding in 2011, inspired by the personal journey of our founder and her daughter Sedoo, SECHILD has grown from a small initiative into a trusted refuge for some of the most vulnerable children. What started as a response to one child’s needs has blossomed into a movement of care, inclusion, and transformation. For more than 12 years, we have provided a full range of services that meet not only the physical but also the emotional and developmental needs of children with CP. These include daily therapy, nutritious meals, clothing, education support, psychosocial care, and opportunities for play and social interaction. over 50 children have found stability, healingWith your continued support, we hope to reach even more children who are waiting for a place to belong. Together, we can offer them more than services we can offer them a future.This quarter, SECHILD has continued to provide life-changing therapy services to children with disabilities, while also piloting an innovative parent support initiative. Your contributions have helped us sustain both therapeutic care and family empowerment.

Key Activities 1. Ongoing Therapy Services

We continued delivering essential physical and occupational therapy to the children enrolled in our program. Each child receives tailored support based on their unique needs, with sessions carried out regularly at our therapy center.

While exact figures fluctuate due to varying attendance and individual care plans, therapy sessions remained active and consistent throughout the quarter. The feedback from parents and caregivers has been overwhelmingly positive, with many reporting noticeable improvements in their children's mobility, coordination, and daily functioning.

2. Parent Support Loan Scheme

To address the economic challenges faced by caregivers, we launched a small-scale Parent Support Loan Scheme this quarter. This initiative provided interest-free loans to four parents of children in our program. The aim is to support their livelihoods and ensure they can continue to prioritize their children's health.

• Number of parents supported: 4

• Loan use: Small business support

• Repayment model: Interest, weekly repayment terms

One mother used the loan to expand her petty trading business and shared that the additional income now allows her to consistently bring her child for therapy and buy supplemental nutrition.

Highlights

• Parents have reported better engagement with therapy sessions thanks to reduced financial stress.

• Children are making steady progress with therapy, as observed in our routine reviews.

• The parent loan initiative shows promise as a sustainable model for supporting therapy continuity.

Challenges

• The loan scheme is limited by available funding; demand from other parents is increasing.

• More funds for sustainability