Shadhin: Story of a Promising Deafblind Child Bangladesh. Sense International (UK) Sense International (India) - Lead Partner India

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1 CSCF template for case studies Title of Case Study: Shadhin: Story of a Promising Deafblind Child Bangladesh 1. Title of CSCF Developing a Sustainable Infrastructure for the Inclusion of Deafblind Project People in Bangladesh 2. CSCF CSCF 440 Reference Number 3. Country/ies Bangladesh 4. Name of UK and local CSOs 5. Project duration (dates) 6. Total CSCF Funding 7. Financial spend to date 8. Other DFID funded projects 9. Is this project fully funded by DFID? Sense International (UK) Sense International (India) - Lead Partner India Partners based in Bangladesh: a. Centre for Disability and Development (CDD), Dhaka Lead Partner in Bangladesh b. Research and Educative Action on Disability (READ), Dhaka c. Gram Bikash Sangstha (GBS), Bogra d. Jhikargacha Development Organisation (JDO), Jessore e. Assistance for Blind Children (ABC), Dhaka f. Bangladesh Organisation for Disabled Advancement (BODA), Gazipur g. The Bangladesh Blind Mission (BBM); replaced by Development, Equality & Emancipation for Disadvantaged (DEED), Munshiganj 1 st April st March , ,866 Years 1-3 (CSCF funding) N/A No (DFID funding represents 78% contribution to total project budget) 1

2 10. What problem does your project address? (please put into context and provide figures) 11. How does your project address this problem? 12. Summary of achievements (250 words) Prior to this project, deafblindness was not recognised in Bangladesh and there was no existing infrastructure to address deafblind peoples needs and rights. Due to lack of awareness and expertise, deafblind people in Bangladesh have remained invisible with regards to public policy and specialist services, and excluded from the disability movement and society. A 2004 survey by Centre for Disability in Development (CDD) reveals that approximately 10.7% of the disabile population-70,000 persons are with deafblindness and multi sensory impairements. This project is addressing for the first time in Bangladesh the needs of deafblind children and adults. It is addressing fundamental causes of deafblind peoples exclusion by building the capacity of partners to respond to the needs of deafblind people, identify deafblind people and provide needs-based services in communication, education and rehabilitation; and initiate processes to promote the social inclusion of deafblind persons. The National Resource Centre (NRC) on deafblindness set up by the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD) along with 6 partners in the first phase of the project are reaching out to 201 deafblind people and some 820 family members. The NRC with the 6 partners are reaching out to 201 deafblind children and young adults at 6 locations. It counducted 1 national and 3 local level trainings on deafblind issues. The project over the years has brought deafblindness onto the agenda of the disability organisations in Bangladesh and to an extent into the public domain. The project has had a profound impact on the families of deafblind children. Every little improvement in their deafblind child has had an empowering impcat on families. The foremost achievement is building a certain level of confidence among family members.caregivers regarding the inner potentialities of their childen. The NRC training officer and educators from the partners received training on deafblind issues in India and experts from Sense International (India) also gave on-the-job training in Bangladesh. The advocacy activities by the NRC with the networks of parents are showing positive results. Prior to the intervention of this project, the concerned government agencies had no clear understanding on the issue. Currently, as the project has invloved representatives from relevant government agencies like Ministry of Social Welfare, National Foundation for the Development of Disabled Persons, the issue has finally received government attention and support. CDD has formed an Advisory committee to guide the NRC and the project activities. The committee is comprised of senior professionals from the field of disability and development in Bangladesh. 2

3 13. What is the actual impact of your project who has benefited/ what has changed? (100 words) 14. What are the long terms benefits of your project? (100 words) 15. If your project is complete, what made your project successful? (100 words) 16. What makes your project innovative? (100 words) 17. What is the most important thing this project is achieving? Deafblind people and their families have benefitted the most. The project has kindled hope in the lives of deafblind children and young adults for the fist time in Bangladesh. There are 6 dedicated services available for deafblind people at 6 locations and 10 new services are going to start from year 4. There is now infomation available in local language on issues related to deafblindness and the government is slowly responding positvely to the advocacy efforts. From starting out as an unknown disability, deafblindness is now a known disability at least within the larger disability sector in the country. Prior to this project there was no specific intervention aimed at the inclusion of deafblind people into the wider disability movement in Bangladesh. This project is a pioneering effort to set up a deafblind infrastructure in Bangladesh, which in the long-term will ensure deafblind people s rights are recognised and appropriate services and expertise availabe within the country. Not applicable, currently commencing Year 4 of 5 Year project. The project has an innovative approach by harnessing capacity that already exists among partner organisations and other disability NGOs in Bangladesh to address the complex needs of deafblind people. Without creating new institutional infrastructure, it builds on the experience and expertise developed in India over that last 14 years. It incorporates a unique mentoring approach which encourages NGOs to learn from each other, both within Bangladesh and from India. The most important achievement of this project will be the establishment of services for deafblind persons in the country, as there were none prior to this project. 3

4 18. Human interest story (where possible, please provide names and direct quotes) (250 words) Shadhin: Story of a Promising Deafblind Child Shadhin is a 7 year old deafblind boy. His father is Zainul Bhuiyan who is a petty businessman. Rashida Begum, mother of Shadhin is a house wife. Shadhin is the youngest of her four siblings. One of his sisters is also visually impaired. Soon after his birth, Shadhin had a delayed birth cry, which is suspected to be the cause of his condition. When Shadhin was five to six months old, his parent s realized that he was not responding to sound and tracking objects like other children. Shahdin was consulted to many doctors but there were no changes in his condition. Shadhin is taken care of by his elder brother. This family is a good example where a deafblind child has overcome acute difficulties with the support of the trained educator and his parents and has learned many techniques to cope with day to day activities. Now Shahdin can perform his regular activities like eating, bathing, toileting and so on. He has good mobility training so that he can move easily in his known surrounding. Educators have already initiated an advanced Individualised Education Plan chart for Shadhin where he will be able to learn improved techniques of sign language. His educator is confident that with regular training and support, Shadhin will one day access regular school. We had lost all hope for our son, but his teacher has worked miracle on Shadhin. We are also getting trained to support him further says his mother Rashida Begum. 4

5 19. Please supply photographs as jpeg attachments, stating who/what the photographs show Shadhin (story above) undergoes his daily training sessions at his home with support from his teacher Rafsan, a deafblind boy of Dhaka, has learned to walk 5

6 Brishty, a deafblind girl from Jheneidah (JDO) who has enrolled at school (below left) Dipti Karnad, a mentor from India provides mentoring support to educators (above right) National conference organised by NRC in March 2011 (below) 20. Further information 6

7 Assumptions / Additional Information Information and Visibility Example: Cover pages of Handbook on Deafblindness 7

8 Author: Content Shared by Ms. Sadaf Choudhary, Development Manager, National Resource Centre (NRC). Date: 30/06/2011 Full case study compiled by Sense International. 8