Hope for the needy
GABRIELLA CHILDREN’S REHABILITATION CENTRE
GABRIELLA is a non-profit making, non-partisan, nonpolitical, non-
discriminatory and service oriented organization registered under
Tanzania non-governmental organization Act, 2002 with registration
No.003511 in year 2009. It is registered to work all over Tanzania
mainland. It is located at Sambarai-Kibosho road, Moshi
Kilimanjaro. Gabriella was started mainly in response to the need of
children with learning disabilities and Autism. The reason for
focusing in this group is because in all type of disability this is most
neglected group in the area of service delivery.
CONTENTS
x About Gabriella 1
x Summary 1
x Introduction 2
x overview 2
x Social problem 3
x Our activities 3-4
x Impact 5
x Stakeholder3 6
x Footprint 6
x Future plans 6
For the past 3 years Gabriella Centre has put more efforts on rising awareness about Autism the condition which is
less known through hosting diagnostic clinics and workshop for the purposes of having clear understanding on
autism These clinics bring light to parents as they get to know exactly what is Autism and what are the abilities of
their children. Also staff at Gabriella have had an opportunity to learn more on diagnosis and training of parents. As
a result we have been receiving referrals from all over the country and we have managed to expand our horizon by
working in new areas and for the year 2014, 657 children with different disabilities were directly impacted by our
service. That includes doing assessments and intervention at regular primary schools aiming at inclusion
World Autism awareness day
What is GABRIELLA?
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Organization overview Mission and vision statement
Gabriella has a mission of ensuring children with disability
will be early identified, properly assessed and given early
and quality intervention and finally become valued
members of their communities.
Gabriella is dedicated in working with parents, teachers,
health workers and social welfare officers, the community
at large, to reach our vision of seeing all children with
disabilities in Tanzania become independent and accepted
members of their communities
2014 has been a rewarding year for the team at Gabriella center and for
all the lives of children with disability that have been touched by our
services. Since having a disability in the communities here is a reason
enough to be treated as an outcast and sometimes even endangering
their lives. For this reason Gabriella center has been a center of hope.
Offering a place where a child or youth with disability can access our
services and enjoy a caring environment, conducive for learning skills
that empower them with having an independent future. Not only has
our services targeted children but also caregivers/parents who come
for training on how to handle their children, and furthermore the
communities get educated on issues about disability through our
outreach program therefore preparing a welcoming and acceptable
environment for the child/youth with disability as they go back to their
home environment. I would like to thank the parents, the center’s
Governing Body, for giving the staff and myself their full co-operation in
order for us to provide quality rehabilitation and vocational skills
training for children and youth with disability. With the full co-
operation of all the stakeholders, we can continue to maintain high
standards of service for children and youth with disability of which we
are distinguished.
We are grateful for all the support we get from our donors and
stakeholders for their tireless contributions. And hope for a bright
coming year 2015.
Brenda Deborah Shuma
Director/ Founder
Gabriella Centre
Although the Tanzania act on person with disability
2010 stipulates clearly the rights of a person with
disability to access health, rehabilitation and
education services. The situation is still in need of
improvement in areas such as education and access
to rehabilitation services. UNICEF report on access to
education in Tanzania, indicates only 0.35 per cent
of all children enrolled in primary school were
children with disabilities. These percentages are
extremely low when compared with the estimated 7.8
per cent of the population with disabilities in
Tanzania, which indicates that most children with
impairment are not enrolled. There is no functioning
national system for the identification and assessment
of children with physical or mental impairments, and
no coherent data to track or respond to their needs.
For those children with disabilities who do enroll,
regular attendance is often extremely difficult which
leaves children and youth without any hope, and
makes them more vulnerable to abuse including
sexual abuse.
Introduction
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Scope of the social problem we are addressing
Main problem Lack of proper systems that lead to earlyidentification and referral
Negative attitudesand believes
Children and youth with disability are mostlyneglected andreceive little or no care
Bureaucracy inimplementing existing policies
Community has limitedknowledge on services forpeople with disability
Solution
• Provis ion of high quality assessment, diagnosis & therapeutic support at
Gabriella Centre
Communityinvolvement
Awareness & educationcampaigns
Rehabilitative servicein and outside the center
Forming Alliance and Networkingwith other Organization
The Service that we offer consist of therapeutic and integrated school program for children with and without
disability, family empowerment, skills training and outreach activities. Aiming at empowering children with the skills
for independence, support families by equipping them with tools to tackle day to day challenges and preparing
the community to accept and support children and youth with disability.
Montessori kindergarten this is a 5 day
program me for children from 3 to 6 years. It
is an integrated class, involves children with
and without disability. it also aims at breaking
stigma in the community and give opportunity
for children from surrounding to benefit.
Special need class- this is for children above
kindergarten level who have difficulty in
coping in regular school due to their learning
needs. This aims at identifying their needs
and giving school opportunity in special way.
This includes integration back to regular
school and provides advice to teachers.
Nanginyi is a 9 year old girl with a condition called Down
syndrome. She comes from a Maasai society in Manyara region.
her condition has made her slow in learning and therefore
hindering her from attending school or leaning basic life skills,
her physical development is delayed which also was a
contributing factor for not attending school or any other service
since where she comes from the children have to walk long
distances to reach any social service including school. Since It is
difficult for Nanginyi to go to school it makes her prone and is at
risk of being forced to early marriage. Though our outreach
activities Her mother heard about Gabriella center and brought
her, she was accepted and is boarding at the center. She is very
happy to be able to experience socializing with others and
gaining skills. Since she joined the community from where she
comes from has change its attitude towards disability and are
bringing forth other children with disability to receive intervention.
School programme Case story
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Children learning how to make key hole garden
Youth learning how to milk goat
Skills training – children and youth learn life skills which
involves self-care such as dressing, bathing, toileting, bed
making etc.
Also we assess the talents and interest of children/ youth
and develop them for use in the future to be independent
and productive – in the area of
x Cooking food, bites,
x Livestock keeping- chicken, rabbits, milk goats
x Gardening
x Art and craft
x Drama and traditional dance
x Modeling
Intensive therapy weeks – this is mainly training of
caregivers on how to handle their children with
disability at home, also for them to get support
from each other. Training includes therapy, diet ,
play, information about child’s condition etc.
The team goes out in the community for rising
awareness, assessment, intervention and referral to
appropriate services.
.
Skills training
Intensive therapy weeks
Outreach and home visit
Intensive therapy weeks
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Cooking class for youth
Parents and teachers workshop
657 • Children received assessment and
intervention.
228 • caregivers receive intensive training.
77 •School programe •26 youth gain vocational skills •27 attend special needs class •24 children enrolled in intergrated kindergarten •5 youth reintergrated back to their communities with income generatingg projects
•44 ofthe children board at the centre
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•WORKSHOPS IN TOTAL HAVING 900 PARTICIPANTS INCLUDING HEALTHWORKERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, PARENTS,TEACHERS.
•we have managed to engage 13 community leaders, in our service provision.
x Mayor of Moshi municipal Hon.JAFFARY MICHAEL
received the walk during the world autism
awareness day and commended the effort done
by Gabriella centre to ensure children in need get
right services
x Police officer incharge of special desk for gender
and children Sgt. GRACE LYIMO told community to
protect children right and stop violence.
x Reach through media coverage. We have had
radio(local and international) and newspaper
coverage on all events, resulting to tremendous
increase of number of parents who access our
services
x Visit by the Tanzania national board of NGO from
the Ministry of Community Development Gender
And Children
x School Visits with Moshi Municipal Council to
identify the need of children with disability for the
aim of influencing more support from government. 5
schools were visited
x 13 public school receive assessment advice and
teachers training
x Events – Kili-marathon ,world autism awareness
day, African child day, world day for a person
with disability parents day and community meeting
Impact
This year we have put up a fence and gate surrounding all the center premises, for more safety of the children. Since most of them if they go out of the center don’t know how to get back and can’t express themselves.
Our team
Gabriella center strengthens its team day by day to ensure services provided are professional, quality and adequate. Our team comprises of 15 staff members. And 9 volunteers to assisst Includes Occupational therapists special need teacher, art trainers, Montessori teachers, therapy assistant, matrons also on consultation we have pediatrician, physiotherapist, and psychological counselor.
“It is the smile that we see in
a child that keeps us going”.
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Stakeholder involvement
It has been pleasure to work with children and their families
in which has been enabled by the support of our donors.
TIGO/REACH FOR CHANGE, GO CAMPAIGN, YES
Kilimanjaro, EDPOWERMENT, CAPDA,AFRICAN YOGA
GROUP and individual contributions.
In our outreach and Centre activities we are grateful for the
involvement of village leaders, educational officers, district
directors, community leader such religion leaders .
In raising awareness about disability in the community it has
been very successful due to the support we have had by
working together with other like minded NGOs such as
CCBRT – Kilimanjaro, YWCA, BCC, and DPOs such as
Tanzania Federation of Disabled People's Organizations
(SHIVYAWATA)
We operate mainly in Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions in 7 districts and also attend to children from other parts of Tanzania as indicated in the map with red arrows.
Children accessing the center
Geographical food print
Social problem that we are addressing
Alot of referrals are sent to us from all over the country. The
center is limited in terms of space and human resource. We can
only have a maximum of 70 people at a time. So many are
assessed, passed through the intensive therapy weeks program
and remain in the waiting list to be enrolled in our daily
programs. It usually is very heart breaking to a parent when
they are told to try another time for their child to be enrolled in
our services. it is in our plans to build our own center which will
have more space and bigger capacity to handle many
children at a time. As shown below.
Our future plans
For more information
Web : www.gabrielllarehab.org
Facebook: gabriellachildrenscentre
Blog: reachforchange.org/Brenda-deborah-shuma
Email:[email protected],[email protected]
Mobile +255713456727,+255 766559968
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