A great day of meetings with families at the therapeutic centre

On Friday 2 July, the Lebao’s Kids Therapeutic Center (BKF) team welcomed 18 families of children with disabilities who benefit from therapeutic support at our Center.

The objectives of this meeting were multiple:

– First of all, it was a way for the parents to get to know each other, as they accompany their children to the Centre at different times and do not meet each other very often.

– It was also a question of sharing their singular experiences and their life paths, which are often complex because of the disability. The families were then able to express themselves and confide in each other because they could exchange in a climate of trust thanks to the presence of the team who reassured them. They were also able to discuss how they deal with their children’s difficulties, how they organize their lives, how they relate to their children and the stimulation they offer them.

Families and children welcomed to the Therapeutic Centre by the team

To introduce the day, Theophil, our director, explained to the community the history of our NGO and its functioning. He also presented the role of each member of the BKF administration and the therapeutic team, most of whom the families knew.

This was followed by an intervention by Godlove, our physiotherapist, who explained the importance and the benefits of physical stimulation for the children to improve their condition. He also put the families at ease to express themselves and talk about their difficulties, the way they perceive their child on a daily basis and in particular during the exercises.

He also emphasized the importance of visits to the families’ homes by members of the team in order to assess with them how well the exercises and stimuli are going and what may be hindering the smooth running of these activities.

Progress noted in the children after a few weeks of therapeutic support

Then, the parents were able to talk about their lives and their difficulties as well as their recognition of the support that the therapeutic team gives them in terms of listening and the quality of the care given to the children and the changes in their state of health.

The families also mentioned the difficulties they face, including the disengagement of many fathers from the difficulties, the stigmatization of their disabled children by the community, and the pejorative collective representations of disability, a “curse” conveyed by the mothers.

These exchanges were fruitful and rich in emotions.

Parents testified to the initial benefits for their children of the therapeutic support offered to them.

Putting it into perspective:

The families mentioned the interest and the merits of creating a Day Care Centre in the future which could accommodate their child for the whole day, in order to free them to devote themselves to their daily activities at home, at work and with other children, and also to offer their child more playful, educational, re-educational and pedagogical activities thanks to a greater and more diversified presence.

The parents were very satisfied with these meetings and exchanges.