Supporting Children with Disabilities in Pakistan

Dear Friend and Supporter,

On behalf of everyone at MAITS, thank you for your generosity and commitment to improving the lives of children with disabilities and their families in Pakistan. Your support is helping us build a sustainable, community-based rehabilitation programme that reaches some of the most underserved communities in Karachi.

We are delighted to share an update on the progress of our Community Health Worker (CHW) Empowerment Programme, delivered in partnership with the Institute of Holistic Rehabilitation and Inclusion (IHRI).

Expanding Our Reach

In July 2025, we launched the third batch of CHW training, representing the largest scale-up of the programme to date. Through this phase, trained Community Health Workers are supporting 132 children with disabilities and their families through structured home visits and practical coaching.

By March 2026, CHWs had completed five visits with each family, including a baseline assessment and four follow-up reviews. The remaining visits will be completed by June 2026.

While this cohort is still progressing through the programme, early results already demonstrate meaningful improvements in children's health, participation, and family wellbeing.

Improving Children's Health and Wellbeing

Families are reporting encouraging changes, including:

• Fewer chest infections due to improved feeding practices and positioning.
• Better overall health and physical condition.
• Increased happiness and engagement.
• Greater participation in family and community life.

As this is a larger and more diverse group of children than previous cohorts, progress is naturally more gradual. However, the early trends are positive, and we anticipate stronger outcomes as families complete the full programme cycle.

Building Caregiver Confidence

One of the most important outcomes of this programme is empowering parents and caregivers with practical knowledge and confidence.

Caregivers are reporting:

• Greater confidence in caring for their child.
• Improved understanding of developmental disabilities.
• Increased emotional resilience and optimism.

Many parents who initially felt isolated and overwhelmed are now actively engaging in their child's development and advocating for their inclusion within their communities.

Improvements in Daily Living Skills

Among the 61 children for whom comparable data is currently available, significant improvements have been recorded:

• 46% showed improved participation in community activities such as visiting shops, fields, and local spaces.
• 36% demonstrated improvements in bathing.
• 34% showed improvements in toileting.
• 34% improved school attendance.
• 33% improved sleeping patterns.
• 31% improved eating and drinking skills.
• 31% became more involved in household activities.

These early gains indicate that caregivers are successfully applying the skills learned through home visits. Particularly encouraging is the improvement in community participation, reflecting increased confidence among families and greater social inclusion for children who are often excluded from everyday life.

Strengthening Local Capacity

Your support is helping us create long-term change by investing in local professionals.

To date, the programme has achieved:

• Training of 6 therapists to Level 2 trainer status.
• Selection of two exceptional therapists—Occupational Therapist Sehar Hameed and Physiotherapist Faryal Khan—to begin their journey toward becoming Master Trainers.
• Training of 41 Community Health Workers, all of whom continue to serve within their communities.
• Direct support for approximately 250 children with disabilities and their families across Baldia Town, Orangi Town, and Korangi in Karachi.
• Collection of outcome data from 198 children over a 12-month period.
• Establishment of a dedicated training workshop at IHRI to support future community-based rehabilitation training.

Appropriate Technology Changing Lives

Alongside CHW training, MAITS has introduced Appropriate Paper-Based Technology (APT), enabling local therapists and technicians to manufacture affordable assistive devices using locally available materials.

This includes:

• Feeding chairs
• Standing frames
• Positioning equipment
• Postural support devices

These simple but transformative solutions are helping children sit more comfortably, feed more safely, engage more actively with their surroundings, and participate more fully in daily life.

Looking Ahead

The demand for this programme continues to grow.

In May 2026, we launched preparations for Batch 4, recruiting an additional 10 Community Health Workers in a new area of Karachi. Together with our existing CHW network, this expansion will enable us to support a further 150 families.

We are also:

• Establishing weekend workshops for families unable to receive home visits.
• Expanding local production of assistive devices.
• Developing a mobile app to improve data collection and monitoring.
• Creating digital learning resources for parents and community workers.
• Strengthening mentorship and technical support between UK trainers and local teams.

Thank You – and an Invitation to Continue This Journey

None of this would be possible without the kindness and generosity of supporters like you.

Your donations are helping children with disabilities access support that would otherwise be unavailable, while equipping parents, community workers, and therapists with the skills needed to create lasting change.

As we enter the next phase of growth, we are seeking additional funding to train more Community Health Workers, reach more families, expand access to assistive devices, and strengthen our monitoring systems so that we can continue building evidence of impact.

A gift of any size will help us extend this life-changing support to children who are still waiting for help.

Thank you for standing alongside us and the families we serve. Together, we are creating a future where children with disabilities are valued, included, and given every opportunity to thrive.

With sincere gratitude,

The MAITS Team

We are delighted to share an update on the continued progress of our IHRI Community Health Worker (CHW) Programme and our expanding APT training initiatives.

Following the successful completion of three batches of CHW Level 1 and Level 2 training, we are now compiling and reviewing programme data. So far, data for 33 children from Batch 1 has been analysed, with reporting completed. Data relating to 34 children from Batch 2 is currently under review, and information for 132 children from Batch 3 has been collected and is being transferred for analysis. Behind each of these numbers is a child whose care and quality of life are being strengthened through trained community support. Preparations are already underway to launch Batch 4 in the coming year, ensuring this momentum continues.

In addition, we initiated our APT programme in Pakistan in September 2025, led by trained Pakistani APT trainers who previously completed their training in Nepal. The introductory workshop welcomed 25 participants from three organisations and focused on foundational APT skills. Despite logistical challenges, including visa rejections that required us to deploy separate UK trainer teams to different countries, the November training in Karachi was a great success. While one organisation withdrew after the initial session, the commitment and enthusiasm of the remaining participants was inspiring.

Most importantly, during the training, four children received customised seating equipment - an immediate and tangible impact that will make a meaningful difference in their daily lives.

None of this progress would be possible without your generous support. Thank you for standing with us as we strengthen local capacity, expand access to services, and improve the lives of children and families.

With warmest thanks,

The MAITS Team