Support & empower 1900+ persons with Down syndrome

Dear Supporters,

We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone as we expand our community to 2031 families now registered with KDSP, enabling us to extend support, empower and create a more profound impact. We are immensely grateful to you, as it would not have been possible without your constant support. Below are highlights from the quarter:

Family Support

KDSP offers emotional support to parents by creating a compassionate community where they can come together, share their experiences and gain strength by organizing support group sessions that empower them emotionally. 

• 128 new families have registered via Family First Contact meetings.
• 54 families received support through the ‘Humrahi’ program (Parent Peer Counsellors)
• 223 participants benefited from informational and emotional family support group sessions.
• Monthly emotional support sessions were organized by the Early Preschool Experience Program (EPEP)  and Education for Life (EFL) teams, encouraging the families to open up about their challenges and process their emotions.
•  A focus group was hosted by Bilal Jirjees, an aspiring psychologist, centered on understanding the specific needs of the fathers, the unique challenges that they may encounter and exploring ways to effectively address those needs. 

Awareness

Multiple awareness sessions were conducted in schools, corporates and organizations, reaching over 638 people to raise awareness about Down syndrome and foster sensitivity among the audience towards individuals with Down syndrome. 

• Two children were selected as models for Bacha Party’s winter collection and the photos captured are set to be up on billboards across the city.
• KDSP fostered inclusivity for the deaf community through collaboration with ConnectHear, aiming to create opportunities and provide support to them.
• KDSP released its first short film, ‘Taleem Sab Ke Liye’ (Education for All) on account of Down Syndrome Awareness month, which reached 90,000 views on social media platforms. 

Education

31 children benefited from the Early Preschool Experience Program (EPEP), 14 children benefited from the Program for Inclusion Education (PIE) and 20 children benefited from Tailored Assistance Program (TAP).

• EPEP team celebrated Yellow Day with a series of colour-coordinated activities to mark the introduction of a new colour for the next 6 weeks. 
• TAP team organized a fun educational trip where parents and children had the opportunity to learn about new professions as well as enjoy fun activities like bounce and karaoke. 
• KDSP partnered with 4 mainstream schools including, Dawood Public, Elixir school, KIVA school and Clara International school for the Inclusive School Project (ISP) which aims to encourage inclusive environments in schools for the academic and social development of children with Down syndrome. 

Healthcare

KDSP's healthcare initiative ensures individuals with Down syndrome have access to medical care, offering in-house clinics, camps, and financial support, while also facilitating referrals to enhance overall well-being.

• 84 children benefited from in-house Developmental Pediatric Clinics and General Pediatric Clinics at KDSP
• 160 life-saving treatments and medical procedures sponsored by KDSP.
• 25 children benefited from healthcare consultations at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Indus Hospital and ALvi Dental.
• 50 children benefited with free-of-cost vision training at Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT).
• Together with Humanity Initiative, a student-led organization and KDSP pediatricians, over 500 medical reports of children with Down syndrome have been reviewed for early detection of anomalies. 
• 30+ children benefited from the free dental camp held by the Asia Pacific Organisation of Dental Students (APDSA).
• A Basic Life Support Training (BLS) program held by KDSP’s in-house Paediatrician, Dr Razi Rehman, for the employees in ECI and Education Program focusing on emergency response skills.
• Power Diary, an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system is used for effectively maintaining health records and scheduling health service

Skills Development 

42 children and adults with Down syndrome benefited from 25 running Skills Development Program at KDSP. Students from the Education for Life (EFL) program, Azeem and Unzila started their internship at Martin Dow, in their admin and travel department.

• KDSP renewed its MoU with Rangoonwala Community Centre to continue offering skill training to individuals with Down syndrome, to empower them socially and economically.
• Science Fuse conducted a science workshop with students from EFL program, introducing states of matter and various science activities.
• KDSP organized an educational field trip to TDF Magnifiscience for the children to explore science and related phenomena. 
• Students from the EFL program had the opportunity to set up a Lehr by KDSP stall at various stores and events, including Polly and Other Stories in Karachi and Lahore, The Ivy School, Karachi Women’s Festival 2023, The Crafter’s Expo, and HBL’s celebration of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities. During these events, they showcased and sold their handmade crafts.
• Story Time was held for EFL students by Ms Kanwal Saud, the founder of the Outload Reading Club.
• Students from EFL Batch 1 and 2, visited Markitt for experiential learning regarding money management and body safety where they also got hands-on learning while buying ingredients for their cooking class. 
• Painting workshops were organized for the students of EFL by Safwan Sabswari, a multidisciplinary artist from Karachi, and Kashmala from Restart Art Studios, teaching them different painting techniques and creating their masterpieces.
• As part of their Life Skills Curriculum, EFL students presented road safety projects to KDSP employees and guests.
• KDSP launched its first Training Kitchen and KDSP Kafe on account of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities.
• An Art Therapy was conducted by the Centre for Arts-based Methodologies and Well-being (CFAW), where they explored the meaning of “joy” through different mediums.

Early Childhood Intervention

KDSP offers Early Childhood Intervention (Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy) to individuals with Down syndrome aged 0 - 7 years. 

• 16 new children enrolled in ECI.
• On average, 184 Occupational Therapy sessions were scheduled weekly.
• On average, 174 Physical Therapy sessions were scheduled weekly.
• On average, 190 Speech Therapy sessions were scheduled weekly. 
• KDSP signed an MoU with Ziauddin College of Rehabilitation Sciences for the training of young Physical and Occupational therapists on specific learning objectives. 
• The training workshop was organized for KDSP’s Speech therapists by Khadija Fatima who works as a Speech and Language Therapist and Audiologist at Indus Hospital.
• Weekly online training sessions on assessment and treatment strategies of pediatric feeding disorders were conducted by Raquel Garcia.
• Four training sessions were held for the Occupational Therapists at KDSP conducted by Zainab Ali, a doctoral student at WU as part of her capstone project in collaboration with Hina Mahmood from Down Syndrome Resource Foundation, Canada.

Some Stories from the field:

Parent of Saifullah

My son, Saifullah, is a 4.5-year-old boy receiving all three Early Childhood Intervention Therapies: Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapies at KDSP. As his father, I am deeply grateful for the support we have received from KDSP.

When I was jobless, KDSP provided us with free therapies, making it possible for Saifullah to receive the support he needed. Despite being on financial aid, we are treated with equal respect at KDSP, just like everyone else.KDSP has truly been a lifeline for us, offering support and guidance to navigate through life.

Since joining KDSP, Saifullah has made remarkable progress. His playing skills, emotional expressions, joint engagement, attention span, and gross & fine motor skills have all shown improvement. It is heartwarming to witness him become more social, coming out of his shell. His fear of sounds has transformed into a love for music and songs, all thanks to his speech therapy sessions at KDSP. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the positive impact KDSP has had on Saifullah's life and our family.

Parent of Ali

Ali was quite unwell when he was born and frequent doctor visits seemed to have become the norm for us. During a visit to the doctor, a hospital staff member informed us of Ali's diagnosis, which brought with it a sense of ease and fear. Ease, because now we had a condition to attribute his poor health towards and fear because no one guided us on the way forward.

Later upon being admitted into a hospital after a bout of pneumonia, we were informed that Ali had a hole in his heart and was immuno-compromised. During this difficult time a doctor referred us to KDS, where upon being registered, KDSP offered to pay for his IVIG treatment to sustain him. On his road to recovery, Ali was enrolled in all Early Childhood Intervention therapies at KDSP and we saw a tremendous change in him.

Not only did we see Ali gain energy and start to walk independently but he began to reach other developmental milestones promptly as well. When we compare the child who was in and out of the hospital and look at all that he has gone on to achieve, we believe that KDSP breathed life back into my son.

In the past, I have guided more than 25 parents to come to visit KDSP and benefit from the services provided here that are tailor-made for individuals with Down syndrome. These services not only cater to the unique needs of individuals with Down syndrome but also aid in their journey of becoming independent members of society.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated supporters who have made these milestones possible. Together, we look forward to continuing our journey of making a lasting impact on the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and their families

Love,

Team KDSP

Links:

• Education for All - KDSP Shortfilm