[ti:Helping Uganda¡¯s Disabled Children Play] [ar:Anna Matteo] [al:Health Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]Children love to play. Playing is how they grow and learn. [00:12.01]But for some children, the idea of simple, [00:18.30]joyful play time can seem very far away. [00:22.48]These boys and girls may look differently than others, [00:29.03]and not be able to move around as others do. [00:33.26]A rehabilitation center near Uganda's capital [00:37.97]is working hard to change that. [00:41.37]It is bringing together doctors, volunteers [00:46.26]and donations from around the world. [00:49.59]They have established the first and only center [00:53.99]for treating disabled children in Uganda. [00:57.30]The center is called Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services [01:03.89]for Uganda, also known as CoRSU. [01:08.09]The people there are concerned about the abilities [01:12.88]of boys and girls -- not their disabilities. [01:16.92]On thick grass outside the main hospital, [01:22.49]a mix of current and former patients do something others [01:28.77]may take for granted ¨C they are playing. [01:32.67]They compete in sports, [01:35.75]play games and even perform silly dances. [01:40.62]The theme of the day is simply ¨C "Let Them Play." [01:46.80]This is a rare event for children [01:50.48]who are missing arms or legs, [01:52.73]have physical deformities or suffer from trauma. [01:58.33]The purpose of the event is to raise money [02:03.62]for a new playground and sports field. [02:06.72]Campaign organizers want to make the old playground [02:12.40]into an area that is friendly [02:16.25]to all sorts of disabled children. [02:19.21]Life for the disabled in Uganda is difficult. [02:24.34]But for children it can be a shock some never overcome. [02:30.06]Christine Tusiime is the principal physiotherapist at CoRSU. [02:37.25]A physiotherapist often directs exercise programs [02:42.73]for those affected by injury, sickness or disability. [02:47.81]Christine Tusiime talks about the problems [02:52.20]facing the disabled in Uganda. [02:55.26]She says that a disabled child may have trouble [03:00.04]socializing or interacting with others. [03:03.98]They are stigmatized -- meaning others look down at them. [03:09.97]"It stops them from playing like other kids, [03:13.20]from socializing with other people. [03:15.14]And usually when they tried to socialize, [03:17.79]they are then stigmatized or called names [03:20.73]depending on their disability... [03:22.38]Of course from that, [03:23.47]they tend to get low self-esteem, [03:27.01]so they stop socializing and then [03:29.44]they have psychological issues and challenges [03:35.22]that come out from not being able to interact [03:38.01]with kids their age, not being able to play, [03:40.90]and generally not being able to go to school." [03:44.09]CoRSU treats patients from all over Uganda, [03:47.72]and nearby countries, including South Sudan [03:52.70]and the Democratic Republic of Congo. [03:55.65]On the grounds of CoRSU, [03:58.49]there are areas where doctors can operate on patients. [04:03.47]There also therapy rooms, housing and even a primary school. [04:10.70]Therapy can last from a few days to a few months. [04:16.39]The treatments also involve support groups for parents and families. [04:22.43]Sometimes even those closest to the child [04:26.56]can have trouble understanding the disability. [04:29.90]The employees at CoRSU say they feel very good about their work. [04:36.82]Moses Dennis Kaweesa is a prosthetic technologist. [04:43.41]He makes artificial body parts. [04:47.49]He says he became interested in prosthetic development [04:52.26]because he grew up with a family member who had lost a leg. [04:57.85]He says children are some of his favorite clients. [05:02.52]Mr. Kaweesa says children learn to walk and even run quickly [05:09.29]on artificial legs. [05:11.13]He says the smiles and happiness of the children [05:15.36]give him courage every day. [05:17.96]CoRSU receives no financial support from the Ugandan government. [05:23.88]It depends on donations. [05:26.92]Most of the money comes from overseas. [05:30.65]CoRSU earns extra money by providing medical services [05:35.59]to the neighborhoods surrounding the rehabilitation center. [05:40.08]I'm Anna Matteo. [05:41.82]¸ü¶àÌýÁ¦Çë·ÃÎÊ51voa.com