Mochudi-based Centre for the Rehabilitation of Children with Special Needs, known as Motswedi Rehabilitation Centre, received a 23-seater Mercedes Benz Sprinter minibus, worth more than P400, 000 on Wednesday as a donation under the Government of Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects Scheme (GAGHSS).
The vehicle will be used to ferry rehabilitation-eligible kids between their homes and the centre on a daily basis for physiotherapy and stimulation as well as schooling.
“It is a great relief for us since we direly needed such kind of support, especially considering that there are times when we have to transport some of these children to the clinics and hospitals on a regular basis for checkups,” said Zibion Sakero, Deputy Coordinator for the Centre.
He added that most of the children are usually physically challenged.
The mandate of the Centre is to care for children with mental and other physical disabilities, by offering those lessons and exercises intended to enhance their ability to fit comfortably within their social environment, such as would stimulate self confidence.
Where feasible, the children are taught survival skills like gardening and carpentry, whilst at the same time receiving physiotherapy and massages, to make them comfortable. Although the official cut-off point in terms of age is 3-8, the Centre ends up having to help adults.
Faith Zimunya, spokesperson of the Embassy of Japan, said that the handover of the minibus could have been done early this month, but due to the untimely death of the Coordinator of the Centre, Grace Ramatswe, the ceremony had to be postponed to a later date.
The postponement was also somewhat inevitable given the fact that Ramatswe was reportedly at the helm of efforts to secure the grant, which ultimately found the approval of the Embassy.
“It is also going to be particularly helpful when it comes to facilitating participation of our centre’s children at the Botswana’s national and regional Special Olympics where the shortage of transport has always proved a serious factor,” said Sakero.
