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