THE EARLY BIRD CENTRE

Aim of project: To build a much needed room for the use of an early stimulation program for children with special needs aged 0-3 in Los Organos, a small, poverty stricken village in the North of Peru where there is currently no support for young children living in deprived situations with special needs.

The "Early Bird" Project:

An early stimulation program runs in the centres in Urubamba and over 60 Mums and their babies were given support and training in baby massage and speech therapy in 2007. However, in Mama Cocha and Runa Wasi, there is currently no space for the early stimulation program. The program is vital as Kiya believes that if they start working with children and their families from an early an age as possible, the child's progress and success, will be far greater as will the parents support and participation in their child's life. This will hopefully diminish the number of abuse cases Kiya is constantly confronting as parents will have a better understanding of their children and more respect for them. Sadly, in many areas of Peru, many communities still see children with special needs as a curse from God, or Devils Children. Misunderstanding and the fear that these beliefs install, lead to numerous children with special needs being abused, neglected and abandoned. Kiya was recently sponsored by Copenhagen International School to finally build Mama Cocha, a small children's home in the North of Peru. They are still in desperate need of funds to build the new Early stimulation room on the land they have been donated and without it will have to put on hold the vital support that the team have been providing to the Mums of the community. At present they are only able to work in the families' homes or in rooms that are leant on a non-regular basis to them. This means that the support is not consistent and that many Mums are missing out. There are currently no other post natal classes or groups in the area and aside from the physical benefits for the children and parents, having a regular class for parents to attend would be a massive emotional support as parents would be able to share ideas, learn to share their problems and lean on one another when times are hard, realise that they are not alone, that their babies are not "abnormal" and that their children were born to be different in a positive and beautiful way, not as a curse. At present Kiya is spending approx £s;200 a month just on transporting therapists and materials to run sessions, this money could be saved and used to employ another therapist enabling more children and parents to attend the sessions and receive this vital support. Despite the limited resources and space, the "Early Bird" Early Stimulation Program has been a great success and highlights the pressing need for the facility.
The cost of the new building is £s;6,000 plus another £s;1,000 for furniture. It is being built out of local materials, bamboo, stone and adobe. All labourers are from the village, thus providing much needed work to the community, many of whom are also be parents of the children who will attend the program.

Clean Water for the Centre:

Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Many people in the developing world, usually women and children, walk more than three hours every day to fetch water that is likely to make them sick. Those hours are crucial, preventing many from working or attending school. Additionally, collecting water puts them at greater risk of sexual harassment and assault. Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of unsafe water.
Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old. Providing the Early Bird Centre with a source of clean water is crucial to it's success.