The High Commission of Malta to India has embarked on a Development
Assistance Project funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds
within the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta. This project focuses on the poorest disabled
children living in the rural, tribal area of Odisha State, India and seeks to
provide rehabilation services to children with special needs.
In such rural zones,
despite the availability of some basic rehabilitation services, parents cannot
afford to access these services regularly because of the travelling expenses
involved and loss of their daily wages. The presence of a disabled child
impacts the whole family mainly because caring for the child mandates the
reduction of the earning capacity of the main carer, usually the mother.
Thus, disabled children have little opportunity for development and social
integration.
This ODA project is expected to bring about major
benefits to disabled children living in the area in terms of rehabilitation and
social inclusion mainly through the setting up of an Orthotic workshop.
The workshop will be producing aids, appliances and wheelchair modifications
for disabled children.
Through such support the children will be able to carry
out more of their self-care activities independently, be able to better access
Government services, attend school and participate in day-to-day village life
and events alongside their peers. Thirty-six children with delayed
physical development are initially targeted for this project.
To assist in this project, on the 23rd of
January 2023, the High Commissioner of
Malta to India, H.E. Reuben Gauci in the name of the Maltese Government has
entered into a one year agreement with
SADHANA Foundation (Society for Disability and Health Awareness) an NGO that has been providing home based rehabilitation
interventions to disabled persons through village-based staff for the past 15
years. One of the founders of SADHANA is a Maltese Missionary, Ms Marcette Buttigieg.
The project is expected to take place within the
financial year 2023.
