“The wish of Türkiye is to see children with autism develop their full potential in an environment free of barriers,” Turkish Ambassador to Uganda.
KAMPALA, Uganda, -Turkish state Aid Agency -TİKA has today held a Fun Day for children with autism and donated assorted supplies to Dawn Children’s Centre, a Neuro Developmental and Day Care Centre for children with Special Needs.
The event was organized as one of the activities to celebrate the 100th anniversary since the establishment of the republic of Türkiye.
A series of events are slated in Uganda including the National Day celebrations hosted by the Turkish embassy in Uganda to highlight the revolutionary breakthroughs that have shaped Türkiye since its founding a century ago.
Ömer Aykon, TİKA Country Coordinator in Uganda told Anadolu that Türkiye wishes to contribute to changing the lives of children with autism as they integrate in an inclusive Uganda.
“We hope that we can make these children happy by addressing barriers that hinder their social inclusion, learn new things and have fun as other children” he said.
He added the donations include a constructed sensory room, computers, projectors, sound systems, play materials among others.
Turkish Ambassador to Uganda, Mehmet Fatih Ak said that the wish of Türkiye is to see children with autism develop their full potential in an environment free of barriers.
The chairman Board of Directors for Dawn Children’s Centre, Dr. Samuel Ssekajja Mayanja said that the campus currently looks after 130 children of varying disabilities. “Our vision is to create a safe place where families can bring their children with special needs to receive the therapy, quality education and other skills they need to reach their potential and be successful in this life,” he said.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. The spectrum is characterized by a wide range of symptoms and challenges that vary in brutality from person to person.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics figures, ASD prevalence is put at 70 out of 10,000 persons. There are still many myths and beliefs surrounding autism in the country that lead to stigma, discrimination and neglect of autistic children.
