"Since she started her rehabilitation sessions, she’s been able to walk"
HI has helped 450 children with disabilities or developmental delay since July 2017. The parents of two-year-old Safaa, who suffers from cerebral palsy, are among those who have benefited from its expertise.
HI’s voluntary workers assessed the needs of Safaa, who has cerebral palsy | © Oriane van den Broeck / HI
Rehabilitation and children
Safaa suffers from cerebral palsy, which has delayed her psychomotor development. Following a visit from HI’s team, she now receives rehabilitation care, paid for by the organisation. The two-year-old is also monitored by a speech therapist and a specialised educator: "Safaa does exercises with the physiotherapist but she has trouble concentrating. She also has difficulties speaking," explains her mother.
Before receiving rehabilitation care, Safaa was unable to walk: "I used to have to carry her. I feel better now that her situation has improved," says Safaa's mother. “I’d like her to go to school. The specialists say she’ll probably be able to go to a special school."
Information for families
Through HI, she met another mother whose children have cerebral palsy and who now go to school. It has made her more hopeful about the future. As they do for many families, HI’s voluntary workers also provided her with information on the psychomotor development of children.
HI and early childhood
HI's mobile teams search the streets of Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, Mafraq and Jerash in northern Jordan for children under the age of six with disabilities or an impairment. They then assess them and refer them to a health centre where they receive care and developmental support. This programme has already benefited 450 children since it was launched in July 2017.
