The Camilla School

Camilla school is meant to be a disabled center for children, but it houses adults as well. The ages range from 3 to 65. It is very difficult to know their ages as their physical disabilities cause many of them to be very short for their age. For example, I was trying to play with building bricks with this one kid i thought was about 5 years old. She got upset and wasn't interested in playing, then I was told that she was actually over 20 years old! She couldn't communicate to me that she was too old to be playing with bricks, due to her mental disabilities, and therefore she must have got upset and frustrated because she couldn't communicate to me. Many of the children have a complete awareness of what is going on around them, but their disabilities, either physical or mental, prevent them from being able to communicate their understanding. I soon learned that even if a child isn't joining in with what you are doing or communicating any understanding, they are still enjoying you just playing in front of them. They may smile or laugh or move excitably, which shows me they are enjoying what is going on.

When I first went to the disabled center I was utterly shocked and appalled by the conditions.Some children are partially paralyzed and so are left alone in one dark space all day, with no stimulation, apart from the occasional feed. One boy is left in his room for the entire day and only looked on to give him a glass of water. Many have open wounds and other illnesses which are not cared for, because the center does not have the funding. Some children, such as those with cerebral palsy, are meant to be given physiotherapy many times a day to improve their condition, but due to a lack in funding these children are only given a short session once a week.

After my initial shock at the conditions, I realized that there is so much that I could give to these children. We could give the more disabled children some stimulation each day and help to improve the children's lives. I am excited contemplating what we will be able to achieve.