Childhood is an essential life stage in human development. It is mainly during its first years that the child builds up both physically and psychologically. It is also the time when the child and his or her entourage work out his or her way of « being in the world », which will condition his or her future cognitive and social development. However, this development can nevertheless suffer from significant delays or disorders, as in the case of children living in very precarious situations (economic, socio-affective), with disabilities or developmental disorders. These situations require specific care and attention in order to improve the disorders as well as the social integration of the child. However, current Mozambican public policies do not guarantee appropriate identification and specific attention, depriving these children, particularly those from disadvantaged families, of adequate guidance, treatment and follow-up.
Since 1992, ESSOR has been running Early Stimulation projects in Brazil for children with disabilities or developmental delays. Today, ESSOR can boast of having supported more than 1,200 children with disabilities or developmental delays in Brazil. On the strength of this experience and aware of the needs, ESSOR is now setting up a project to support children with disabilities in Mozambique.
As early as August, ESSOR and its partners in the field began to set up a survey involving 200 families around the city of Beira and in the province of Sofala. This will enable us to have a reliable database on the situation of young children with disabilities and to set up relevant, sustainable activities in line with local needs. It will enable us to identify, guide and support these particularly vulnerable children in the best possible way, particularly with a view to enabling them to enter school or specialised care.
A heartfelt thank you to all the support that allows us to implement these projects for the benefit of the most vulnerable people!
