Naomi is 15 years old and lives in Rwanda.

She also has Down Syndrome which is a genetic condition that can affect the way the brain and body develop. When she was younger, Naomi often faced stigma and discrimination due to her disability. She didn’t understand why she was treated differently to other children, and this made her dread going to school. Naomi’s confidence was low, and she was in danger of becoming isolated, drifting further away from her peer group.

Children with disabilities are at an elevated risk of mental health issues and psychosocial disabilities due to the high levels of stigma and exclusion they experience. Despite this, research has shown that there is very little mental health provision for children and young people with disabilities.

This is where we came in.

Through our project with network member Uwezo Youth Empowerment, we are supporting child protection and mental health systems to be more sensitive to the needs of children with disabilities, particularly girls. We are working to ensure that parents of children with disabilities are better supported to prevent abuse through ‘positive parenting’ workshops and are training young people with disabilities to mentor children with disabilities to inform them of their rights and to better support their mental health.

Through the mentorship programme, Naomi was given support and vital companionship from a young person with a disability who could relate and empathise with her in a more meaningful way. Her mentor had not only been in her position before, but had also received support as a mentee when Naomi’s age.

This provided a platform for Naomi to begin to share everything she was experiencing with someone who had walked those same steps before her. Now several years into the programme, she has gained more confidence and is thriving.

Together, we can transform the lives of more children like Naomi.

Join Us