What We Do
Advocacy and Awareness
Equipping and partnering with communities to better serve children with disabilities
About Advocacy & Awareness
In the countries where CURE serves, children with disabilities are often stigmatized and even abused due to harmful traditional beliefs or a lack of understanding regarding the causes of disability. And many of the conditions faced by people with disabilities are either preventable or treatable. However, there is a lack of knowledge among the general public, and even sometimes among healthcare workers, leading to structural barriers that exclude people with disabilities. Too often, children are the most vulnerable.
To help tear down these societal barriers, CURE works to raise awareness and advocate for people with disabilities. In partnership with local governments, NGOs, schools, and national church networks, we work to educate the public on the inherent rights and value of all people, regardless of ability. We also offer training and capacity-building to equip local healthcare systems and churches to sustainably provide the care and support children with disabilities need. These efforts help counter prejudicial attitudes, make healthcare more accessible, and equip local communities to better serve and care for the disabled community.
More about Advocacy & Awareness
There are many inaccurate beliefs about disability, and they are all detrimental to people living with disabilities. In the places where CURE serves, it is not uncommon for people to believe disability is caused by evil spirits, curses, or other supernatural forces. Parents of children with disabilities are often blamed for their conditions and told the disability is punishment for their wrongdoings. Some communities even believe disability is contagious or that interacting with a person with a disability is bad luck. These misconceptions lead to those with disabilities and their families being discriminated against, stigmatized, and excluded from their communities. When people with disabilities are treated this way, they do not have equal access to school and work, forcing them deeper into poverty. They also may be hesitant to seek treatment because they feel the condition is somehow deserved.
CURE partners with local church, community, government, and health organizations to educate people about the inherent value and rights of all, and to mobilize these different groups to better care for those with disabilities. This includes a number of initiatives, such as:
- Pastor Training – Utilizing our Theology of Disability curriculum, we train pastors and church leaders to better serve those with disabilities, identify patients who would benefit from CURE’s services, and advocate for children with disabilities in their communities.
- Community Mobilization – Community-based activities are among the most effective ways to raise awareness and directly improve the lives of children with disabilities. In each country where we work, CURE begins by meeting and mobilizing the local District Health Office, which is linked to the existing community infrastructure. CURE then partners with pastors and church leaders who completed the Theology of Disability training and their churches. Working side by side with the District Health Officers and the local church, CURE’s outreach team networks and visits schools, churches, shopping centers, and villages. Sometimes they do door-to-door outreach. Mobilization also includes using radio, social media, flyers, and even megaphones to raise awareness.
- Mobile Clinics – CURE’s mobile clinics target and educate the most vulnerable communities and identify children with disabilities who would benefit from medical care. Mobile clinics are particularly impactful in identifying and advocating for children with disabilities from rural or impoverished families because traveling to patients removes a huge barrier and expense for families who otherwise would not know about CURE.
- Health Training – CURE is dedicated to not only providing exceptional medical care for children with treatable disabilities but also empowering local healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills needed to address medical needs. Partnering with local ministries of health and other health organizations, we provide seminars, multi-day trainings, lectures, and more. Additionally, we extend our support beyond the clinic by hosting community training sessions covering topics like disease prevention, prenatal care, and caring for medically fragile children. We also provide education for parents and caregivers, equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge to ensure the well-being of their families.
To extend our reach in educating communities about how to care for children with disabilities, CURE partners with churches, universities, local ministries of health, government and missions hospitals, community-based healthcare centers, and other nonprofit organizations in the countries where we serve. Click each country to view a list of our strategic medical and ministry partners: Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Philippines, Uganda, and Zambia.
Learn more about ministry at CURE.
See how CURE’S approach to healing goes beyond simply treating symptoms to minister with hope from God’s Word.
