Nine-year-old Kon lives in a remote village in rural Laos, only accessible by winding dirt roads through mountainous terrain. Kon lives with a physical disability that makes walking difficult.
When he was 18 months old, his parents noticed he wasn’t walking like the other children his age. A doctor told them that a bone in his ankle had not developed properly and wouldn’t be able to support his weight to walk. The only solution was surgery, but unfortunately his parents couldn’t afford it.
Kon’s parents are both farmers and often leave the house at dawn and return home at sunset. Sometimes they stay in the field overnight if it is too late to travel home. With his parents busy working to provide the necessities for the family and Kon’s inability to walk, this has meant he hasn’t been able to go to school.
While his friends are at school, Kon stays at home to care for his younger brother and sister, often doing housework like laundry, and tidying the house. He gets around by crawling. However, Kon doesn’t let his disability keep him from living and making the most out of his life. Much like other children his age, he is a lively young boy with plenty of energy and playfulness.
In his spare time, he and his friends explore the village, crawling through bushes, and through mud. He always returns home smiling, with blisters and scrapes on his knees.
In January Kon received a walking aid from ChildFund in Laos. He learned how to use the walking aid through various warm-up exercises and techniques. Local partner Walking Aids for Children with Disability Association (ACDA) checks in on his progress every two months.
This walking aid now means Kon can soon start going to school on his own. He is excited to start first grade. He was particularly looking forward to learning mathematics. When asked why, he said, “I like mathematics because it’s useful. It’s something I’m good at. I already use it whenever I buy food at the store, and it is something I can use every day.”
With the help of his friends and family, Kon’s mobility has significantly improved in a short time. “I don’t get tired at all using the walking aid. In fact, I’m always very, very happy whenever I use it. As for my dreams for the future, I don’t really know what I want to be yet. Right now, all I want is to be able to go to school. Every day I see my friends going and I hope I get to join them soon.”
ChildFund in Laos’ Better Outcomes for Inclusive Learning (BOIL) project works in collaboration with government partners, ACDA, school management, and primary teachers to improve the capacity for providing disability inclusive education.
The project includes equipping school management and local government authorities with the capacity to plan, monitor, and support quality inclusive education. Parents and caregivers are supported to provide inclusive learning environments for boys and girls, including children with disabilities.
This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
Today is World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. Every year ChildFund Australia marks the occasion by raising awareness about one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. TB has devastating health, social and economic consequences for people around the world – but particularly for the world’s most vulnerable children and young people.
Every day around the world, 4,100 people die from TB and one in 10 people with it is a child.In Papua New Guinea, the rate of infection is one of the highest in the world.
We caught up with Olive Oa (pictured left) ChildFund Papua New Guinea Health Program Manager, to hear how they are continuing to support children and young people to access vital health services to diagnose and treat TB.
What is the current TB situation in PNG?
Papua New Guinea experiences extremely high rates of TB across the country, particularly when compared to the rest of the world. This is largely due to lack of access to health care and low rates of immunisation.
In the Central Province, TB is still very common in the communities and health centres we work in. Here, there are 15 health centres that diagnose and support patients who test positive for TB. All 15 health centres have at least one staff trained to care for and manage TB patients. ChildFund works in six health facilities in the surrounding area.
What is CFPNG doing to address these issues?
We set up a genetic testing machine to test for Tuberculosis in Bereina, Kwikila, and Porebada. In Bereina, the testing machines run on solar power.
We have trained 60 TB Treatment supporters across the six communities to support patients who have been diagnosed with TB and provide them with the right treatment. After an individual is diagnosed with TB, they are sent home and their closest treatment centre is notified so they can continue to access care and medication.
Many of those working at the treatment centre are trained community health volunteers.
What progress has been made since starting these activities?
We have continued to ensure that these testing centres are operational, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the Bereina Health Centre, we set up a standby generator that can provide electricity when solar power isn’t available. We are also planning for a refresher training for the Kairuku District Health workers to provide more information about treating TB.
What challenges is CFPNG facing in treating TB?
In my experience, there are several major challenges that we face. Firstly, many of these patients come from very remote village in the communities we work in. The roads are so bad that cars cannot access them for weeks at a time. Also, people with suspected TB often wait until they are very sick before they reach out for help meaning their treatment is delayed. Finally, although the community health volunteers provide good support, they are often under-resourced as we don’t have enough funds to support this work.
What is ChildFund doing next to support individuals with TB in PNG?
We need to improve the capacity of health workers at every health centre. Right now, 80% of the health work force is community health workers. All health facilities undertaking TB work should be supported with the right training, communication and solar power that can provide basic microscopy testing, lighting, and electricity.
