About Us
The Special Mothers Project (SMP) is an advocacy and awareness programme on cerebral palsy issues. Cerebral Palsy is described as loss or impairment of motor function, Cerebral Palsy is caused by an injury to the part of the brain that controls movement and sometimes speech.
The brain injury can occur while a child’s brain is still developing that is before birth, during birth, or immediately after birth.
As a result of the permanent nature of cerebral palsy and the fact that most children in Ghana and perhaps Africa are treated as outcasts the project seeks to create awareness while advocating favourable policies for families who have children with cerebral palsy.
The project also seeks to coordinate cerebral palsy related activities in Ghana and serve as a peer counseling platform for mothers of children with cerebral palsy.
The project uses the media (Both social Media and Mainstream media) to create awareness about Cerebral palsy related activities while drawing the attention of policy makers to issues that need to be addressed.
In the year 2019, the Special Mothers Project expanded its advocacy platform to include all children with disabilities in Ghana.
The Project provides an online resource to parents and families raising children with Special Needs, information on support services and systems, professional counselling services, peer counselling, sharing of experiences and ideas among parents are done on our online and social media platforms, including Whatsapp, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter
Even though SMP started operations around July 2015 it was officially given the certificate of incorporation and certificate to commence operations on 31st March 2016 by Ghana’s Registrar-General’s Department and further certified to operate by the Department of Social Welfare
The aim of the project is to enhance the mother’s skills in handling the children with cerebral palsy or a child with Special Need and empower especially mothers with the necessary information that they need to help the children grow to their full potential in addition to empowering mothers especially for advocacy.
It must be noted that most children with cerebral palsy or Special needs cannot advocate for themselves due to the fact that most of them may not be able to have a clear speech and may not be walking and talking, hence the need for empowered mothers who can advocate for them
Again these children spend more time with their mothers than any other person and equipping the mothers also means enhancing the child’s opportunity to a better life.
Our Training programmes usually in the form of a one-stop workshop where the Specialists take the Mum’s through the basic skills in handling their children and an opportunity for the mothers to ask all the needed and necessary questions that need to be answered as well as share experiences
Looking at the limited number of pediatric physiotherapist, the Special Mothers project also aims at empowering mother with basic knowledge and skills in physiotherapist and other therapy to enhance the job of the professionals.
The Special Mothers Project also provides counseling support to families raising children with cerebral palsy and other Special Needs. Most families especially mothers stand a high risk of depression and certain anxiety disorders due to their children’s diagnosis.
Ultimately the Project also seeks to influence policy on children with cerebral palsy and other Special needs with regards to education, health care, social support systems and general acceptance in society among others.
Many especially mothers are forced to abandon career and jobs because the educational system as it is now rejects children with cerebral palsy
SPECIAL MOTHERS PROJECT is legally registered in Ghana
You can support us by donating to:
Fidelity Bank, Adentan Branch
Account Number 2030026812954
Mobile Money account is 0244547980 (Hannah Awadzi)