Vision
The vision of AHDI is “a world where children with cerebral palsy and others with allied conditions are protected and have access to early health and education intervention services within their communities” to enhance their enjoyment of all rights on an equal basis with others.
Goal
To have each child in Zambia living with the condition of cerebral palsy or others with allied conditions have the opportunity to live as fulfilling, self-reliant and whole a life as possible in close relation with other people.
Mission
The mission of AHDI is to secure a bright future for children with Cerebral Palsy and others with allied conditions by ensuring adequate interventions, social inclusion and support from the family, communities and government for them to enjoy a high standard of living.
How it all started
The Community Based Intervention (CBI) programme started in 1993 as a philanthropic project of the then British High Commissioner’s wife, Mrs. Archie Hinchcliffe who was working at UTH as a Physiotherapist volunteer. Upon her departure, Action on Disability (ADD), a UK based NGO which had an office in Zambia, took over the running of the programme until 2006, which after a lot of consultations from various stakeholders, was separated to operate autonomously under a new board and its name changed to Community Based Intervention Association (CBIA – 2007). In 2013, the organization was re-registered with Patent and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) as Archie Hinchcliffe Disability Intervention (AHDI) to further enhance its visibility as an independent, efficient and progressive organization that is growing in its capacity to serve and deliver for its clients. Further, it was registered with PACRA as not for profit organization in order to gain greater advantage including higher recognition levels during fundraising and advocacy.
What We Care For
Physiotherapy
Children presented with an opportunity to experience how to play on the jumping castle while their parents holding them. The children being exposed a different form of play with new friends.
Home Based Education Programme (HBEP)
The child with athetoid (involuntary movement) was counting using stones, showing the monitoring team what she had learned.
Capacity Building
Parents during the child protection workshop. Here the community mapping and networking exercise was being demonstrated to them by the facilitator.
Background
The Community Based Intervention (CBI) programme started in 1993 as a philanthropic project by the then British High Commissioner’s wife, Mrs. Archie Hinchcliffe who was working at UTH as a Physiotherapist volunteer. Upon her departure in 1995, she persuaded Action on Disability and Development (ADD) whose head office is in the UK to fund the programme. The CBI programme under ADD was later within the year 1995 registered with Registrar of Societies of Zambia.
Action on Disability and Development (ADD) was a non-service providing organization working with adults, while CBI was a service provider with focus on children with disabilities. This difference in focus prompted the separation of the CBI programme from ADD. It was separated from ADD in early 2007. The process started sometime back in 1998 and was meant to find an organization or a `body` that would take over the running of the CBI programme without disrupting its activities. And that it had to be separated so that CBI could also be free to expand its services and seek for funding elsewhere other than ADD.
CBI was then transformed into a new organization and was registered as Community Based Intervention Association (CBIA), under a new leadership of the Board of Directors. In 2013, the Board decided to register with PACRA due to the attributed benefits. But PACRA rejected the name ‘CBIA’ and that it only gave an explanation of what the organization was doing, it therefore advised them to give the organization a name. The Board then came up with the name ‘Archie Hinchcliffe Disability Intervention (AHDI)’. Upon registration with PACRA in 2013, the organization was issued with a certificate. Further, the organization was registered with ZAPD as indicated in the Persons with disability Act 2012.
Physiotherapy
The organization has seven (7) outreach physiotherapy centres in the compounds; Bauleni Special Needs Project, Chelstone, Matero, Kanyama, Chawama, Mtendere and George clinics. They are also supporting the provision of physiotherapy at Chilenje clinic. The Organisation works with volunteers in the outreach centres (clinics). The approach used in rehabilitating the children is through play therapy. Toys and other gadgets are used in the provision of therapy. Training workshops in basic physiotherapy management, child abuse / GBV, HIV&AIDS for parents and other care givers are conducted. Sensitization activities are done ranging from health talks, advocacy on rights of children through electronic and print media, open day and meetings with community members and local leadership. AHDI works in partnership with the government through Physiotherapy departments found in the outreach (district clinics) centres.
The Organization also offers early education using the home based education approach within the outreach centres alongside physiotherapy sessions
AHDI works in kazungula, Zimba and Livingstone districts in partnership with Norwegian Association of the Disabled in provision of Community Based Inclusive Development (CBR) for children with disabilities.
Home School Based Education Programme
This is a holistic approach to the provision of education to children with disabilities. It is education that encourages community / family participation to enhance acquisition of developmental skills for inclusion.
AHDI has seven (7) zones in Lusaka, three (3) of which are in the outskirts, six (6) in the two districts in southern Province and two (2) in Eastern Province where Home School Based Education (HSBEP) Programme is conducted. The zones in Lusaka are Chilanga, George, Chipata, Chawama, Chifwema, Chilambila and Kabweza, while the ones in Southern Province are Siansowa, Kanchindu, Maamba settlement, Libuyu, Dambwa central and north. While in Eastern Province are Petauke and Mwanjawanthu zones. HBEP is used to teach children who may be severe or moderately affected as well as those children with disabilities who are below 7 years of age. The teaching is done in the home using locally available materials and does not focus on academic work only but takes in consideration the six developmental areas which include cognitive, self-help, language, socialization, motor and infant stimulation. The teachers / Volunteer Home Visitors visit the child once in a week while the parent / guardian is the core educator. The programme provides pre-school education (ECCDE) to children with disabilities in their homes. It caters for children that have been left out of the mainstream due to various reasons like: severity of condition, age or inaccessibility of the available facilities and long distances as well as non- availability of facilities.