An overview is presented of a project in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Thailand to:
To support communities in raising socially and emotionally healthy kids in refugee/IDPs camps and in host communities.
To create opportunities for children with disabilities and other vulnerable children (0-12 years old) including children at risk of developmental delays/psychological distress in displacement contexts, to learn and develop safely while having fun.
Using “play” as key driver to learn and develop safely children’s potential while having fun.
The project was implemented using:
Existing HI tools (Personalized Social Support, Adapted Physical Activity, etc.)
Tools piloted in IKEA project (Blue Box, low-cost toy making, inclusive playgrounds, Ideas box)
Environmental Footprint Assessment across 3 project sites
Monitoring & evaluation was carried out using techniques including
Scopeo (Sc-ore O-f Pe-rceived O-utcomes) Kids
Participatory M&E approaches (digital story telling, child-child video interview etc)
This report suggests a “twin-track” approach based on the World Health Organization’s Guidelines on the Provision of Manual Wheelchairs in Less Resourced Settings, an eight-step process, and dedicated disability inclusion programming, the “plus.” By following this 8 Steps+ approach, community development organizations can provide appropriate wheelchairs and empower their constituencies to exercise their rights and fundamental freedoms.
The papers in this volume on gender, persons with disabilities and WASH in South Asia help to provide important pointers on ways forward. A common thread throughout the four articles is that a constellation of challenges still exists, from 'exclusion' through prejudice at different levels, to institutional realities that render policy and other instruments ineffective in practice. In some cases, even, there remains a complete absence of key legal and policy instruments.
Titles of the articles in this issue are:
Planning for inclusion: exploring access to WASH for women and men with disabilities in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka
Breaking down Barriers: Gender and Disability in Access to Agricultural Water Management in Nepal
The Gender Gap between Water Management and Water Users: Evidence from Southwest Bangladesh
Are policies enough to mainstream Gender in water and sanitation programs? Experiences from community managed drinking water supply schemes in India