In some communities, children grow up almost unseen. Not because they are not there, but because they are not talked about. Because they stay indoors because of their disability. Their existence is marked by fear, faith or shame.
In various villages in Sierra Leone, the same picture often emerges: Children with disabilities are cursed. They were said to be possessed by an evil spirit. That idea determines how these children are treated. This leads to fear. And fear leads to exclusion. Like in the case of Joshua.
Solution close at hand
Joshua (6) spends his days in the doorway of his house in Sierra Leone. He sits in a bright red toy car and watching children playing outside. He’s a cheerful boy, but no one lets him join in and stays where he is. Only his brother and sister drop by. Other children don’t play with him. Their parents say that Joshua is possessed. His world is small. Everything ends at the doorstep. So that’s where his development ends as well.
For many children, the solution seems to be close at hand. Access to healthcare and education. Support for the family. A safe place to learn and play. That way, these children can develop. No major interventions, but on a large scale because they change everything.
