Helping disabled children thrive and live in dignity<\/p>\n
Leo Wahyudi S, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The little building in Ciputat, on the outskirts of the capital,
\nis surrounded by trees, shutting it off from the hustle-bustle of
\nthe city.<\/p>\n
The building is colorful and in many ways looks and feels like
\na kindergarten classroom. But in fact it is a health center for
\nhandicapped children.<\/p>\n
Founded by the Society for the Care of Disabled Children
\n(YPAC), this building is a pilot project for family-based
\nrehabilitation (RDK). The program, which prioritizes handicapped
\nchildren being treated by their families, also involves the
\nresidents of Cempaka Putih, Ciputat.<\/p>\n
When you enter the building the first thing you hear is the
\nnoise of small children.<\/p>\n
\"Oom (uncle) ... Oom...!\" a six-year-old girl shouts.<\/p>\n
The girl, Nur Ain, is still learning to pronounce words, as
\nshe does not have a palate, which also makes it difficult for her
\nto eat and drink.<\/p>\n
Nur Ain is one of the disabled children receiving treatment
\nat the health center.<\/p>\n
Her mother, Marwani, cried as she recalled the three painful
\nyears after Nur Ain was born. Her daughter's handicap left her
\nisolated, particularly as the neighbors taunted Nur Ain.<\/p>\n
\"I had to cope with my own depression for years until I came
\nhere and regained my confidence,\" Marwani said. She has overcome
\nher problems after receiving therapy.<\/p>\n
Nanang, who is in the third year at a state elementary school,
\nsuffered years of taunts from the children in his neighborhood.
\nThough his right leg is thinner than his left, Nanang has
\novercome his disability and now plays with the other children in
\nhis neighborhood.<\/p>\n
From a very poor family of 12, Nanang was frequently made to
\nfeel inferior because of his handicap. His father abandoned him
\nand left him with his mother, who is also handicapped.<\/p>\n
Wearing a Boy Scout uniform, he takes part in after-school
\ntherapy every Saturday, where he often plays with Ogi, another
\nhandicapped boy.<\/p>\n
Asked if his friends often made fun of him at school, Nanag
\nsaid, \"I have many friends. I love them all because I can play
\nwith them.\"<\/p>\n
Ogi is also brimming with self-confidence these days, said his
\nmother Narti, despite his withered right leg.<\/p>\n
\"Ogi never shows any sign of inferiority and it makes me proud
\nof him,\" she said of her son, who is in the second year of
\nelementary school.<\/p>\n
Another girl at the center, Nur Afifah, is quick to warm up to
\nstrangers. There is no sign of her handicap, though she has been
\ndeaf from birth.<\/p>\n
She has learned to pronounce words thanks to her mother's
\nguidance and therapy. She is able to attend a regular without any
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
It is true that handicapped children suffer socially because
\nof their handicaps. And their parents also suffer in the face of
\nrejection on the part of both society and their families.<\/p>\n
But the love and caring of parents slowly earns social
\nrecognition. It is the main purpose of RDK to provide a more
\nhuman touch to people living with handicaps, rather than
\ndiscriminating against them.<\/p>\n
Sorta S. Tobing, YPAC chairwoman, said handicapped children
\nmust be considered as children with special needs in order to
\nprevent society from discriminating against them.<\/p>\n
\"They are the same as other children. Their handicaps are
\nmerely features that mark them,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She called on adults to respect handicapped children
\nregardless of their physical or mental condition. Children with
\nhandicaps are in need of medical, social and educational
\nrehabilitation, she said.<\/p>\n
Rehabilitation does not always mean curing their handicaps but
\nrather making the children better equipped to survive and thrive
\nin the world despite their handicaps.<\/p>\n
That is why in the rehabilitation center, these brave
\nchildren are treated with total care and wholehearted respect.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/helping-disabled-children-thrive-and-live-in-dignity-1447893297",
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