Their dreams against the odds

“Who can care enough to know that I need a time out, I need rest, need counselling?

“I also want to sometimes socialise but I cannot leave my child with anybody.

“I cannot take my daughter to any event because she cannot be herself in a different place.

“I never hear anyone say bring your daughter for the weekend and rest.

“I have to book months in advance for someone to take care of her and when the time comes they can change their mind because apparently, something has come up.”

She continued: “We also need to touch base with someone who understands our situation.

Someone who is in the same shoes.

“I have been taking care of my daughter for 12 years, but sometimes it becomes as if it’s new.”

According to Dibeela, discrimination from other children when she goes out with her daughter is unbearable. She encourages parents to teach their children that there are special children.

“Our mental health is compromised. We need counselling. We never got professional help and we had to be strong for our children.

“We need a rehabilitation centre where we can drop our children off for a day or two to reboot. We need help and support. Take care of the caregiver,” she says.

For her part, Gaborone City Council chief social and community development officer, Segopotso Dikai says while CP affects over 17 million people across the world, it is one of the least understood disabilities. People with cerebral palsy are often kept out of sight, out of mind, and out of options in communities around the world.

She adds that it is critical for local authorities and others all over Botswana to change the environment and provide the necessary support to effectively address the needs of the people living with CP. “There are millions of reasons for accessible technological solutions that can go a long way in alleviating the pain and challenges of those living with the condition as well as assisting the caregivers. “Stakeholders are appealing to all for help to find the next breakthrough in technology.

“It is my hope that young Batswana technologists will not be left behind in this campaign.”

Dikai says one of the biggest challenges in Botswana is knowing exactly how many people live with CP there are, as well as the severity of their conditions. “Most of the children with CP are at home as there is no facility that meets their needs.

“As local authorities, we need to be sure that the infrastructure is catering for them and that through our offices, their day-to-day needs are met.”