Augustine Moo, 8, was born with cleft lip, leaving his parents in a tough situation to handle while raising four other children in very basic circumstances in the Thai temporary shelter camp where the Burmese family found shelter ten years ago. Augustine was a shy and insecure boy. That is, until he met Humanity & Inclusion.

Due to his lip, Augustine had difficulties communicating. For many years, he was mocked by other children and felt isolated and lonely. The teasing got better after Augustine’s surgery, but what really helped was his participation in the Growing Together children’s club, organized by Humanity & Inclusion. “In that club, Augustine developed communicative skills and learned how to engage in relationships with other children”, says his mother Ree Mah. Today, he is more confident which has made a positive impact on his friendships. Since starting the club, he has made some good friends. “So far, only boys,” Augustine adds, smiling shyly. “Sometimes I don’t know how to behave among all those girls.”

Attending the Growing Together club has also had a big impact on his schooling. “Because of his isolation, Augustine wasn’t motivated at school, but now he’s more confident and really keen to perform well and catch up. I’m home tutoring him and now he’s the third best student of his class,” says his proud mother. 

Growing Together Project

Growing Together is a four-year project in Thailand, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and is funded by the IKEA Foundation. Humanity & Inclusion is creating inclusive spaces where children can come together–through play–to work through some of the challenges they face, especially children with disabilities. In addition to inclusive playgrounds, Growing Together will target the youngest children who are at risk of developmental problems. Simultaneously, the program will engage local child development service providers and help them become more responsive to the needs of boys and girls with disabilities and other vulnerable children. Learn more about the partnership.

With support from IKEA Foundation, Humanity & Inclusion constructed and opened its first-ever inclusive playground in Teknaf district, Bangladesh. Since opening day, the playground has become a place filled with children, with and without disabilities, playing and laughing together.

It was an exciting day for the community of Teknaf in Bangladesh when a representative from the Ministry of Social Welfare joined HI staff and several dozens of children to open the first and only playground in the region. For months, community members and HI staff have been constructing the playground with local materials, under the eager eyes from the children who couldn’t wait to try out the swings, toboggans, and especially the traditional boat that has been turned into a colorful jungle gym.

Teknaf is a very poor district. Child-friendly and inclusive places to play do not exist. “Even the open fields are disappearing quickly,” says Farid Alam Khan, a local communications officer for HI. “Due to unplanned urbanization, almost 70% of the total open space in Bangladesh has been grabbed in the last two decades. There was a huge need for a playground with child-friendly games.”

Since opening, the playground continues to be packed with children. “Thanks to this new playground, the children can be in a different world. We’ve already noticed that the playground connects people. It also shows the parents and the community the importance of play for children, and we hope that local organizations will follow this example and will start constructing additional playgrounds,” says Farid.  

The playground is built in an inclusive way, inviting and facilitating children with disabilities to join. “Traditionally, children with disabilities are not allowed to go out to play. But now, our teams go find children with disabilities and take them to the playground where they are welcomed. The aim is to encourage parents and other children to be more inclusive of children with disabilities.”

GROWING TOGETHER PROJECT

Growing Together is a four-year project in Thailand, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and is funded by the IKEA Foundation. Humanity & Inclusion is creating inclusive spaces where children can come together–through play–to work through some of the challenges they face, especially children with disabilities. In addition to inclusive playgrounds, Growing Together will target the youngest children who are at risk of developmental problems. Simultaneously, the program will engage local child development service providers and help them become more responsive to the needs of boys and girls with disabilities and other vulnerable children. Learn more about the partnership.

Ten-year-old Sanda Aung fled her home in Myanmar and now lives in small bamboo house in Umpiem refugee camp in Thailand. Her parents are too poor to send her to school and the only time she ever gets to be a child is when she attends play activities organized by HI.

As part of the Growing Together project, supported by the IKEA Foundation, Handicap International promotes early detection, stimulation, and rehabilitation sessions for children to prevent the onset of disabilities and improve their living conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh, Thailand, and Pakistan. Our teams teach parents, caregivers, and community volunteers how to stimulate young children and promote healthy habits through play and daily activities.

In June 2015, four-year-old Djamila’s life changed. Handicap International teams were searching the Mae La refugee camp in Thailand for people with disabilities who needed help when they heard about her case and tracked her down. Born with spina bifida, with paralysis in her lower limbs, Djamila could not walk. Thanks to our donors, she received braces and physical therapy, allowing her to stand tall.

A sister's hope

Sahida takes her role seriously as big sister. She accompanies Djamila to her rehabilitation sessions with Handicap International and supports her as she walks. “I know the road is long, but I hope that she will one day walk to school like the other children her age,” Sahida explains

First of many

Djamila’s family recently watched as she took her first steps. As she grows, Djamila will need newly adapted braces, but for now she’s mobile and can look forward to an active future on her own two feet.

For the past few decades, Thailand has been a major destination country for asylum seekers and refugees from Myanmar. Since 1984, Thailand has provided refuge to people fleeing violence in Myanmar, and more recently to economic migrants. The population in the Thai refugee camps, located along the Myanmar-Thailand border, is now estimated at 111,000 people. Many were born in the camps and have never set foot outside.

In Pakistan, more than 1 million people are internally displaced, meaning that many families with children are moving back and forth between their region of origin, IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps and host communities.