CHILDREN WITH DISABILITY 

A child with disability refers to a child who has physical incapacity either congenital or caused by injury or disease. Some disabilities are so visible and some are much less visible.

 

There are different types of disability;

 Mental retardation

Caused by a wide variety of factors eg injury at birth due to serious illness during pregnancy

 

Cerebral palsy 

Results from brain damage, usually before or during birth

 Traumatic brain injury  

Results from blunt injuries when ones’ head is hit by a fixed or moving object, such as a wind shied or baseball bat

 Learning disability

Some children have disabilities that interfere with their ability to read write, spell or do mathematics calculation. They may also have trouble in listening, speaking or thinking. These children appear perfectly normal until they go to school.

 

Disability has been viewed historical as media problems or personal tragedy. Societies’ prejudices and discrimination were overtly identified as major barriers preventing children with disability from making control of their own lives as were stereotypes pet rayed in the popular.

 

Form of discrimination against children with disabilities continues to be serious and pervasive social problems in the communities and family too. Discrimination against children with disability persist in families, public accommodation, education, transportation, communication, recreation and health services.

 

Article 23 of UN convention stipulates that;

 “Children have the right to enjoy a full and decent life, they  have right to live in way which gives them self confidence, disabled children should not be hidden  or laughed at, they  should be helped to live independently and to take party in community activities”

 

Children with disability have the right to special care. The government must make sure that disabled children get special care to help them reach their full potential and become an active part of the community for example in some primary school in Tanzania blind children take part in the same classes as children who can see well .The children who are blind are given assistance by teachers who are trained specifically to help them.

 

Disabled children have been forced into sexual relationship, raped and sexually abused. However in 1998 the Sexual Offences Special Provision Act was enacted, the community did not streamline any measures to protect disabled children from any form of discrimination.

Awareness should be disseminated to the community and in schools to assist the community to develop a more positive expectation towards children with disability and to cope with the ongoing stress Communit  to identify children with disability within their working area and to register them so as to have current number of disabled children and the assistance they need eg special school etc.

 

Since 1991 the government has made a lot of progress towards promoting and protecting the right of children with disability. However the government still has a long way to go towards fulfilling children’s right. Not all children’s rights in Tanzania are respected. The government in collaboration with Non Governmental Organization have to work hard to improve the situation, let us work together to promote and protect the rights of all children with disability

   

Pre-school children listerning teacher in the class

WHAT HAPPEN IF YOU DON’T TALK ABOUT SEX WITH YOUR CHILDREN? What is the alternative? Well if you ignore or deny or reject talk with your child about sex. Sex is so common and usually even between single people, that’s just like eating or breathing without it life cant exist well –something that’s has happen and you just do it?You really have to search hard to find a happy a healthily view of sex and it might surprise you to know that, I its true that now days sex is worrying enough without all the other pressure? you hardly have time to grow up before every body  trying to tell you something- about  how to be-have how to live, and  how to think about sex. Advice about sex comes from many source .you need to think about where ideas. Came from who s telling you what.Adolescent came in different ways   to man a female the body charged your breast  have  developed, your   public  hair has grown(and under your arms) hips have begun to have period  but to male the voice become big ,bears developed and body structure changed ,for those  have passed  through  puberty  had experience  on this. at adolescent age a child has eager to practice sex because the body morphology is forcing to do it.The truth is that sexual disaster could be prevented through a better  understanding  of sexual  behavior. Ignoring to talk sex with your child it will pay heavy price, there will be more agony over specific need for abortion.( how can it be termed contraception) whuuuuuuuuu!! Not only abortion what about HIV and AIDS “Be a friend to your children talk with your children about sex and adolescent period; don’t look as your enemy to your children”Children discussed their right.

 Martn  from Canada  instruction children how to use digital camera,  David  kabambo,  talk with  children who living  with HIV/AIDS.When his vist at  school.

Every one want to leave .no one like to die other wise have a problems .if I could know the day and time to die I could run away to escape death but it  is impossible!! Mum why you kill me because am a child? Don’t use chemical , poison ,and “mwarobaini”  tree to kill me I want to leave like you .i have a dream to become a president ,a lawyer ,  a manager ,a businessman ,a teacher ,a nurse ,a doctoral, a professor,

Due to poverty in  most families  in Africa some girls practice abortion when get pregenancy ,they kill Innocent children,

Let as join and say no Abortion to child!!

Mum!! don’t kill me!!!

MUM!! DON’T KILL ME!!! Life is good, every one want to leave .no one like to die other wise have a problems .if I could know the day and time to die I could run away to escape death but it  is impossible!! Mum why you kill me because am a child? Don’t use chemical , poison ,and “mwarobaini”  tree to kill me I want to leave like you .i have a dream to become a president ,a lawyer ,  a manager ,a businessman ,a teacher ,a nurse ,a doctoral, a professor,  in near future, Also I like to become a professional player to  play football to help my country to go word cup. Mum remember previous years ago, my grad mother wasn’t kill you that why you still alive up to now. Why want to kill me!!  Life is   sweet , enjoyable ,happy ,some time  become bitter like “mwarobain”  mum don’t use mwarobaini to kill me  I want to leave up to the end of my life. I know  GOD  will call me to go heaven where I will spend there for all my life. But I don’t know the day and the time.   ‘’ SAY NO TO ABORTION ITS ILLIGAL”   

 

“We are children we want to leave mum don’t kill us!!! “

                CHILD RIGHTS

outdated culture .

OUT DATED CULTURE: CHILDREN ARE AT HIGHER RISK OF THREATEN THEIR LIFE. Ah! My God!! God help these innocent children in this world of modern technology and many evils, If I had selected to enact the law and punishment for people who found gilt of sexual abuse to child , or if I had to advice those whom had to punish those found gilt of child abuse in sexual, sodomized; they are supposed to get very strong and heavy punishment that shall not be forgotten for the rest of their life. To me, they deserve for being castrated or being in prison for life. Although international human rights pioneers will complain, because they defend human right universally, they had to think twice. The may cause very harmful effect to those abused. Sometimes abuse causes death, or disabilities and so many others. Recently in Kilombero District (Tanzania ) I heard true story , a child from one of the village studying at pre –school, found killed with internal parties of the body removed (vagina, Brest, stomach parts) Discussion with the teacher of respective school revealed that; a group of five pre-school children were going home from school. Along the way, they met with old man. A man takes with him an exercise book from one child and disappeared in the bush nearby. The child decided to follow the man while crying so as he brings back her exercise book. Unfortunately, the child was also disappeared in the bush. The other four children run away to their parents and community leaders to provide the information. The community members and pupils of the school made a great initiative to find that child by walking around the bush. The body of child was found dead in the bush with internal parties of the body removed (vagina, Brest, stomach parts) The case was reported to police for more investigation and to find the abuser. No one is accused for the event so far. This is Ifakara where outdated culture put children in higher risk threaten their life.

Child soldier

CHILD SOLDIER:

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM?

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO HELP THEM?

 

You and I see them they are hectic and in endless movement all day around at the bush /forest .They week look weary and we rely their face looking full of anguish ,but still holding vivid signs of encourage hope and confidence of survival.,

 

A child soldier is any person who is under 18 years old and who is part of a regular force or armed group  in any  capacity ,other than  purely as family  member .It does  not  only refer to those  carrying  arms  but include cooks, porters, messengers  and  those accompanying such   groups including  girls recruited as concubines forced into “marriage”

 

Africa had  more armed conflict during the 1990 s  than any other continent  from lager- scale war in Angola, Congo Brazaville,Congo –Kishansha,Ethiopia ,Eritrea ,Rwanda Somalia ,Sudan, and Uganda

 

Children are vulnerable  at all times but particularly  in situation  of armed conflict both boys and girls are affected ,but girls are vulnerable to sexual exploitation ,Boys are vulnerable to force recruited  by armed groups or force

  

PROBLEMS  FACING CHILD SOLDIER

 

Boys and Girls are often forced to become soldiers or they join one of them fighting function because it is their only means of survival .As   child soldier they  are often exposed to drug use and participate in or witnessed  severe ,human  right abuse and violence that will affect them for the rest of lives ,Girls  are treated as ”sex slave” or “bush wives” that  have to cook ,clean and  sexually serve their masters, on whom they are depend for  their survival

 

REMEDIAL MEASURES AND RESPONSIBILITY

When talking of who is responsible are regards the problems facing child soldier

 Prevention

Work  will undertaken by special human rights unit to make the local authorities  and armed factions aware of the rights of a children  and establish monitoring and support structures in order to prevent the abuse of the right of children ,or to mitigate it where it has  already occurred  Eg  in the case of child soldier

 Advocacy  and Education 

Work will be undertaken to advocate  child protection issues and to educate local authorities  fighting  faction ,politicians ,peacekeepers and others

A child has the following rights

• To life
• To be with a family and community
• To health
• To develop of a personality
• To be nurtured and protected

 

The convention on the rights of the child CRC has  key principles that should guide all of the actions of adults towards children

 

Non –discrimination (article2) no discrimination  on basics of race ,gender ,colour religion, ethnicity etc

 

Best  interest of the child  (article 3) acting in the best interest of the child means doing what is best for the child  and not what is best for you

 

Participation(  article 12) states that parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his her own view the rights  to express those view freely in  all matters affecting  the  child the view of the  child  given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child for this purpose  the child shall in particular  be provided  the opportunity to be heard  in any judicial  and administrative proceeding affecting the child.

 

families are the first line to defense for children.

FAMILIES ARE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE FOR CHILDREN

 

When designing and delivering support intervention for children  infected an /affected by HIV/AIDS, its  critical to create strong positive bond between children ,families and communities as it is ,this every day “life space of child that determines their well being and their vulnerability .Families are the first  line of defense for children .typically it is the family that provides necessities, love, and nurturing and when families can no longer cope or meet these need ,the community becomes the children’s safety net with the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and scare resources community based care of infected and or/affected children that involves these critical  sector of a child support net work is essential if programs are to be both sustainable and comprehensive

 

Diagram   shows ways to socialize with children from grassroots

 

   

More than 15 million children under the age of 18, most of them in sub-Sahara Africa  have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Million of children are highly vulnerable because their parents are suffering from AIDS Or become their families are heavily affected by the pandemic. The challenge is to Fid  ways to help communities care .Families .children’s for the unprecedented number  of children and families rendered vulnerable  by HIV/AIDS

Community care who are already taking responsibility for assisting OVC and other vulnerable .Community member,are interested in doing so, these community members often came from one or more community based organization  by providing training and other technical assistance to enhance capacities specific to  caring for OVC  such  as child monitoring and protection, psychosocial support and HIV prevention  facilitating access to education,  health care, and malnutrition,

 SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG YOUTH  

In  Tanzania  sexual behavior to youth are different, Although  it is  community  known that most HIV/infection , in Tanzania are acquired through sexual contact and having multiple sexual partners  increases  the risk of getting HIV, prevalence of multiple partnership  among youth is still high more males especially those of 20-24  than females reported sex with more than one partner in the past 12 month,

 

Sexual negotiation   skills ,It is generally known that in Tanzania ,like in  many other  African societies, the right of women within a sexual relationship are low, some girls/women have been forced into having sex. while exchanging  sex for money or gift was also common in the study area, The fact that female are more likely to received money or gift for sex might reduce their negotiating power in sexual relations which, negotiating power in sexual relations which can also be translated  to the women’s, inability to negotiated  condom use for safe sex. though a fairly large percentage  of female reported that it is possible for a women to negotiate condom use with a man .who is not her husband  for only a small percentage of female had actually  succeeded in negotiating condom use,

 

The impact  of HIV/AIDS to  children .At the end of 2001 there were over 13.4 million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in the world  with “orphan” defined  as a child under the age of 15 who has lost one or both parents in this case due to HIV/AIDS over 11 million of these were  in Africa .The global figure are estimated to grow to 24 million by 2010(UNAID,UNICEF,USAID2002)

 

Children orphaned by AIDS  are  vulnerable in almost  all aspect of their lives(Haworth and kalumba 1991,foster et all 1995,foster et all 1997) invariably, witness the prolonged illness and death of one or more families member and suffer mental distress as a result. some of the many  challenges faced  by orphans  are loss of family depression increased malnutrition ,lack of in heritance through(property  grabbing) homeless early  marriage ,exposure to abuse  and  increase  risk of HIV/AIDS(hunter and Williamson 1997)

Main problems  facing orphan were  inadequate  shelter inability to pay for school fees and  supplies lack of bedding, clothing  and  medical  care and  burden  of having to care for younger  sibling (shuey at al 1996 Research  in Tanzania ) found  higher  rates  of malnutrition  in orphans compared to non-orphans

 

HIV-positive  parents experience  psychosocial  distress because  of uncertainty  about their children’s future ,children also experience  psychosocial distress about  their future, which may be manifested by depression or behavioral  problems at school (hunter and Williamson 1997)

 

The well-being of all children affected by AIDS depend in great part on the capacity of the community to support families  and raised then “ the first and most important responses to the problems caused by HIV/AIDS come from the affected children .Families and communities themselves. (The effort of government Ngos   and donors are significant largely to the extent that they help children, families and communities cope more easily with these problems)

 

Most African culture  are characterized by strong family and social support system in times of need within this  system children who lose their parents are typically  taken in by a relative such as an Uncle or Aunt  as has been the pattern in East Africa. However  as the  prevalence of HIV increases and  the number of orphans grows this system is being challenged. Although  most experts do not believe  that the African family structure has ‘collapsed” .Under the weight of AIDS thee is no doubt that care giver are increasingly burdened some adults refused to take in orphans ,while other continue to take them in despite their own poverty, orphans find  themselves  belonging to a house hold headed  by elderly grandparent with no source of income, or by an older sibling under the age of 18

Children  whose  living with       HIV/AIDS tell are story about stigma