By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay
FREETOWN, July 22 (232News) – The Christabel Isadora Richenda Cox-George Foundation (CIRC-G Foundation) over the weekend reached out to physically challenged kids at the Freetown Cheshire Home with food and non-food items. The assorted items included provision, school kits and hygiene talks and kits.
The Founder for CIRC-G Foundation Madam Zorah E. B Anthony explained that the Foundation was formed in memory of her physically and mentally challenged younger Sister, Christabel who was born on 22nd May 1967 in Switzerland.
She further explained that their parents relocated to Sierra Leone when Christabel was barely a year old and that she was cared for solely by her family until she passed away at the age of 31 years.
Christabel was a beautiful soul and happy go lucky, however due to her physical and mental disability she was shunned by most people within her community.
“In those days children with special needs were always labelled as demons, witches etc which were the most demeaning terms you can think of to describe a human being used by some of the most educated and revered in society. There were little or no structures in place to assist people with disabilities,” Madam Anthony said.
She mentioned that the foundation hopes to serve children with disability through provision of hygiene talks and kits, school aids, good nutrition to aid the physical and mental growth of the children with a long-term vision of also aiding children with special needs, which she added will be accomplished through the provision of respite homes and counselling support.
“This desire is borne out of my experience as a child and carer of a special needs person, the knowledge that often carers are under a lot of pressure, seems to be lost in the discourse when we speak of ‘special needs’. The challenges that come with caring fin persons with special needs are numerous. They also require psychosocial support through counselling, respite and self-care,” she noted.
She emphasised that the CIRC-G Foundation named after (Christabel Isadora Richenda Cox-George), aims to advocate for proper access to public and private spaces for people with disabilities and special needs which will take the form of public lectures, workshops, lobbying the power brokers and government functionaries as the case may be.
Welcoming CIRC-G Foundation at the Freetown Cheshire Home, the Director Dr. Abdulai Dumbuya gave a brief history of the home which started in 1962.
He said the opening of the home came through a British Group Captain Lord Cheshire and that it has been a blessing to many children including him.
He pointed out that the home which is now in 55 countries in the world began with the establishment of Freetown Cheshire Home as the first that was set up in Sierra Leone followed by Bo which was opened by Sir Milton Margai.
The home is for vulnerable and disabled children, and it has catered for a lot of people over the years.
He disclosed that 16 children are in the home but they currently have 119 students.
Freetown Cheshire Home Operation Manager, Ibrahim Bangura also thanked the team for reaching out to them.
The kids expressed joy when CIRC-G gave out hygiene and food packages, which was described as timely as the children were about to go on holiday.
Blessing, one of the students aspiring to become a lawyer, thanked the CIRC-G Foundation team for reaching out to them at a difficult time and prayed for protection and provision in order for them to continue fulfilling their aim.
Both the home and CIRC-G Foundation thanked Mrs. Onike King of Excel Daycare and Academy for her support and partnership with the CIRC-G foundation and Cheshire Home.
