Respite care services are essential for children with disabilities
Mbombela, Mpumalanga Province: Tears of joy and relief filled Mbombela Civic Centre as caregivers and families of children with severe disabilities received toolkits for respite care, all thanks to the collaboration between the Department of Social Development and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Born out of recognition that caring for children with disabilities can be physically, emotionally, and financially taxing on primary caregivers, respite care, as the name denotes, is designed to provide much-needed relief for caregivers of children with disabilities from their daily caregiving duties.
In August 2023, the Department of Social Development and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussion to expand community-based respite care services to families and children with disabilities in South Africa, with a specific focus on underserved areas in the provinces of Mpumalanga and Northern Cape.
The respite care services project is being implemented in the Daantjie and Khumbula areas under the Ehlanzeni District Municipality in Mpumalanga. While each of the parents/caregivers shared personal stories of caring for children with disabilities, the common thread is that most parents/caregivers in the two selected project sites are caring for children with cerebral palsy, a brain disorder that appears in infancy or early childhood and permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination.
Cerebral palsy is caused by changes in the developing brain that disrupt its ability to control movement, maintain posture, and balance. The term cerebral refers to the brain, and palsy refers to problems with movement.
Sharing her lived experience and the relief that respite care services have brought into her life, Ms Hlengiwe Mnisi, a parent of a child with cerebral palsy and a member of the Mpumalanga Respite Care Working Group, was full of praise for the project.
“Caring for a child with a severe disability is a demanding 24/7 responsibility that takes a toll on the mental health and overall well-being of primary caregivers. Since the rollout of this project, I can take a break and attend family funerals and weddings, knowing very well that my child is in the loving hands of a caregiver I can trust. Nothing brings me joy and peace of mind. The respite care programme has given me and my child a new lease of life”, she said.
Ms Mnisi’s sentiments were echoed by Mr Mduduzi Mdawa, who, despite his disability, has been caring for his autistic child.
“Caring for a child with a disability demands love, care and passion. I returned home to care for my son after we struggled to find a suitable place in Johannesburg. In July of this year, my son will be celebrating his 24th birthday, and when I look back at the journey my family and I have traversed in caring for him, I am filled with joy that we have come this far. The respite care programme has made it easy for me to take a break and look after my own needs as a parent with a disability caring for a child with a disability”, a visibly emotional Mdawa said.
To date, 17 families caring for children with severe disabilities in Khumbula Village have benefited from the respite care services program, which prompted the Mpumalanga MEC of Social Development, Ms. Khethiwe Moeketsi, to commit to rolling it out in all districts across the province.
Today, the government, civil society, and development partners can work together to uplift the most vulnerable in our society, as demonstrated by the powerful testimonies we’ve heard today. Children with disabilities are marginalised, and we will roll out this programme to other regions of the province to ensure that we support families and caregivers. MEC Moeketsi stated that this initiative will guarantee that no child with a disability falls behind.
Speaking on behalf of JICA, Project Formulation Advisor Mr Hagasewa Hiroyoku mentioned that the project’s goal is to build capacity at the government and community levels to improve the living conditions of children with severe disabilities by sharing best practices.
“A big part of this four-year project is to train a group of officials and community caregivers who will, in turn, train others and expand the programme’s reach, especially in rural areas where the need for such services remains glaring. This is JICA’s contribution to improving the life chances of children with disabilities. To do this, we must start at the family level by supporting and relieving the burden of care on the caregivers”
Besides bringing much-needed emotional relief to caregivers and families of children with disabilities, the project’s benefits include consolidating a register of children with disabilities, mapping the geographic distribution of disability-related organisations per disability type, and identifying existing service delivery gaps.
To complement these ongoing efforts, the City of Mbombela Speaker, Councillor, promised to work with the Provincial Department of Social Development to ensure that the integrated development plans are responsive to the plight of families and children with disabilities.
The program concluded with the handover of respite care toolkits, comprising first aid supplies, educational toys, tablets loaded with educational apps, and personal protective equipment, among others. Since ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the corresponding Optional Protocol in 2007, the South African government has taken measures to ensure that the embedded principles find expression at both policy and programmatic levels.
Today’s program forms part of the Department of Social Development’s activities for this year’s Child Protection Month Campaign, which is themed “Working Together to End Violence Against Children.”
For over 30 years, the Department of Social Development, working in collaboration with faith- and community-based organisations, law enforcement agencies, and traditional leaders, has been running the annual campaign to engage, educate, mobilise, and support families, communities, and South Africans from all walks of life to act individually and collectively on the core message, “Protecting children is everyone’s business.”
ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
