How was the life of children during and after the first lockdown?

When the Government of Rwanda decided to put the country on lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the life of many of the children with disabilities coming to Heroes School changed dramatically. Along with the rest of the country, they were forced out of their routines and faced months of being at home. This was very difficult for them as they were away from their friends and their safe and supportive learning environment. While some children were quarantined in supportive happy homes, others faced the everyday challenges of poverty, hunger, and domestic violence.

How did Heroes School support these children?

Immediately after the first lockdown, the staff at Heroes contacted all of the children and their families by telephone. This gave the teachers an opportunity to discuss different topics including Covid-19 and why they were not able to come to school during the pandemic.

The parents with smartphones were able to connect with their children’s teachers and receive physical exercises and recorded class videos. Unfortunately some of the children couldn’t access this due to the lack of online learning facilities.

Heroes was able to provided food for the 28 families who needed additional support during this difficult time.

What are the other challenges faced during this period, and how were they handled?

Heroes faced several challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially during the lockdown. These included:

Lack of rehabilitation exercises: Many of the students required rehabilitation exercises at home because their conditions were prone to develop complications. To address this, Heroes was able to transport these students to the school for rehabilitation therapy.

Lack of parent training: Some parents struggled with how to physically support their children’s rehabilitation at home. To address this, home visits were conducted and some home adaptations were made to allow children to do exercises at home. Parents were trained by Heroes staff, and weekly calls were organized for follow-up.

Lack of facilities and resources at home: Some parents did not have equipment at home like special chairs, toys, or wheelchairs to assist them while working with their children. Heroes supported them by lending them equipment to use at home.

The poverty of families: Poverty is an issue for many of the families of children who attend Heroes. This resulted in many of the children not having enough food to eat for proper nutrition. With the support from our partners, the staff at Heroes were able to purchase and distribute food to those families in need. They were also able to host a Christmas party for the children and their parents.