Differently Abled Friends Initiative (DAFI)

Organizational History: Differently Abled Friends Initiative (DAFI) is a Community Based Organization (CBO) founded in 2018 at Kasasa - Buloba, Wakiso District by parents of a child with Cerebral Palsy, one Occupational Therapist and some other community members concerned about the appalling situation of children with special needs in Wakiso district in particular and the country at large. The types of disabilities DAFI attends to include; Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Down Syndrome, DAFI stands to challenge the norms of society and seeks to counter oppressive entities such as medicalization and institutionalization. Our idea is to change how society describes, views, and relates with people with special needs. DAFI promotes inclusion in all our activities as a strategy to enhance social integration. The Purpose: To support children with special needs to realize their full potential and facilitate their integration into communities through providing education, physio, speech and occupational therapy, building their parents/guardians capacities, networking, awareness creation and running a rehabilitation center with a parental approach. Major Activities: 1. Running a non-residential rehabilitation center - where those who can sit in class get taught, and the rest are helped to learn/improve relevant skills, behaviors etc 2. Create awareness among community members to enhance social acceptance of children with special needs.