Mbombela, Mpumalanga Province: Today, tears of joy and relief filled Mbombela Civic Centre as caregivers and families of children with severe disabilities received respite care toolkits, all thanks to the collaboration between the Department of Social Development and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Borne out of recognition that caring for children with disabilities can be both physically, emotionally and financially taxing on primary caregivers, respite care, as the name denotes, is designed to provide the much-needed relief for caregivers of children with disabilities from their daily caregiving duties.

In August 2023, the Department of Social Development and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussion for the expansion of community-based respite care services to families of and children with disabilities in South Africa, with specific focus on underserviced areas in the provinces of Mpumalanga and Northern Cape respectively.

In Mpumalanga, the project is currently being implemented in Daantjie and Khumbula areas under the Ehlanzeni District Municipality. While each of the parent/caregiver shared personal stories of caring for children with disabilities, the common thread is that most parents/caregivers in the two selected project sites are caring for children with cerebral palsy, a brain disorder that appears in infancy or early childhood and permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination.

Cerebral palsy is caused by changes in the developing brain that disrupt its ability to control movement and maintain posture and balance. The term cerebral refers to the brain. Palsy refers to problems with movement.

Sharing her lived experience and the relief that respite care has brought into her life, Ms Hlengiwe Mnisi, who is a parent of a child with cerebral palsy and a member of Mpumalanga Respite Care Working Group, was full of praises for the project.

“Caring for a child with severe disability is a demanding 24/7 responsibility that takes a toll on the mental health and overall wellbeing of primary caregivers. Since the roll out of this project, I can take a break and attend family funerals and weddings, knowing very well that my child is in the loving hands of a caregiver I can trust. Nothing brings me joy and peace of mind. The respite care programme has given me and my child a new lease of life”, she said.

Ms Mnisi’s sentiments were echoed by Mr Mduduzi Mdawa, who despite his own disability has been caring for his autistic child.

“Caring for a child with disability demands love, care and passion. I took a decision to come back home to care for my son after we struggled to find a suitable place for him in Johannesburg. In July this year, my son will be celebrating his 24th birthday and when I look back at the journey me and family have traversed in caring for him, I am filled with joy that we have come this far. The respite care programme has made it easy for me to take a break and look after my own needs as a parent with a disability caring for a child with a disability”, a visibly emotional Mdawa said.

To date, 17 families caring for children with severe disabilities in Khumbula village have benefitted from the programme, which prompted the Mpumalanga MEC of Social Development, Ms Khethiwe Moeketsi, to commit to the roll out of the programme in all districts across the province.

“Today, we have heard powerful testimonies and bear witness of the impact that we can collectively achieve when government, civil society and development partners join hands to uplift the most vulnerable in our society. Children with disabilities are marginalised and we will roll out this programme to other regions of the province to ensure that we support families and caregivers. This will ensure that no child with a disability is left”, said MEC Moeketsi.

Speaking on behalf of JICA, Project Formulation Advisor Mr Hagasewa Hiroyoku mentioned that the goal of the project is to build capacity at government and community level to improve the living conditions of children with severe disabilities by sharing best practices.

“A big part of this four-year project is to train a group of officials and community caregivers who will in turn train others and expand the reach of the programme especially in rural areas where the need for such services remains glaring. This is JICA’s contribution to improving the life chances of children with disabilities. To do this, we must start at the family level by supporting and relieving the burden of care on the caregivers”

Besides bringing the much-needed emotional relief to caregivers and families of children with disabilities, some of the benefits of the project include the consolidation of a register of children with disabilities, mapping of geographic and distribution of disability related organisations per disability type, as well as identify existing service delivery gaps.

To complement these ongoing efforts, the City of Mbombela Speaker, Councillor promised to work with the Provincial Department of Social Development to ensure that the integrated development plans are responsive to the plight of families and children with disabilities.

The programme concluded with the handover of respite care toolkits, comprising of first aid supplies, educational toys, tablets loaded with educational apps and personal protective equipment, amongst others. Since ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the corresponding Optional Protocol in 2007, the South African government has taken measures to ensure that the embedded principles find expression at both policy and programmatic levels.

Today’s programme forms part of the Department of Social Development’s activities for this year’s Child Protection Month Campaign under the theme: “Working Together in Ending Violence Against Children”.

For over 30 years, the Department of Social Development, working in collaboration with faith and community-based organisations, law enforcement agencies and traditional leaders  has been running the annual campaign to engage, educate, mobilise and support families, communities and South Africans from all walks of life, to act individually and collectively on the core message, “protecting children is everyone’s business”.

ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT