Cheshire Homes Namibia enables the disabled

THE Cheshire Homes Namibia organisation looks after children with physical disabilities. They have a home at Anamulenge in the Omusati Region near Outapi and another one at Katima Mulilo.

The home at Anamulenge was established in 1986 and can accommodate 20 children but there are currently only 12 children at the home. The home in Katima Mulilo was established in 1994 for 30 children and it is currently filled to capacity. A Cheshire Home is a place where children with physical disabilities are given opportunities to develop their mental, personal and physical abilities. The children all live in the home and attend a nearby mainstream school where they develop independence and gain confidence. The children also learn additional skills like typing and swimming. During the holidays the children go home to their families. Children are screened in the villages and if they have sight or hearing disabilities they are referred to organisations dealing with such disabilities. Community members can also come to Cheshire with their children and receive advice, treatment and training on how to cope with their child’s disability. The Community-based Rehabilitation Programme is also carried out from the home. Staff also do an outreach programme in the community and care for the elderly and adults with physical disabilities. The Cheshire Homes also have workshops where they teach mothers of children with physical disabilities how to cope at home. The community-based rehabilitation programme teaches local villagers to identify and deal with children with disabilities in their villages. Cheshire Homes Namibia is affiliated to the Leonard Cheshire International Foundation in London, England. The Foundation was established in 1948 by the late Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, who devoted his life to expanding the everyday life choices of disabled people by establishing services to support them in the UK and across the world. At present there are over 250 services in 55 countries around the world. Leonard Cheshire Disability also operates an international self-reliance programme, which aims to help disabled people in developing countries become financially independent by providing loans to set up small business enterprises, funding vocational and professional training courses, improving access to training institutions, running disability awareness programmes and developing training and employment centres for disabled people.