Children's Homes Adoption Clinic - Assessment and Treatment Community Outreach

The Thusanani Children's Foundation is a small charity that works at grassroots level in South Africa. It was founded in 2002 with the aim to help babies and young children who have been orphaned through HIV/Aids or abandonment

Our primary goal is to identify and provide therapy for children who are developmentally delayed or disabled and who are growing up in a children's home or place of safety.

Our mission is to promote the normal development of these children, aged 0 - 6 years through the provision of free Occupational Therapy
and training for the caregivers in the homes thus creating a more stimulating environment and preventing future disability.

Our focus is on children from 0-6 years who are orphaned or vulnerable as a result of abandonment or HIV / AIDS. These children are growing up in children's homes or the wider community without the support of their parents or families. Many of these children are infected with HIV/AIDS, while others are affected by HIV/AIDS as a result of their parents or family dying of the disease.

&Children who are functioning age appropriately will have a stronger start in life and will cope better with school, thereby impacting positively on their future. Promoting normal development has been shown to increase a child's chances of being adopted. A delayed baby may appear "sick" and therefore may not be considered for adoption.

Our projects include:

• Care-giver training in the homes and training for care workers from the communities – highlighting the importance of early development and play as the "food'" to nourish the brain and body.
• Provision of developmental assessments and reports to speed up the adoption process.
• Direct therapeutic intervention with the children in the homes and orphanages either individually or in small groups
• Organization and facilitation of monthly outings for these children.
• Collection and distribution of donated educational toys.

"Thusanani" is an African word meaning "Helping Each Other" and represents a caring, compassionate and professional group of Occupational Therapists with a passion for bettering the lives of the many children orphaned in South Africa.