Since 2014, our partner from Germany, Kindermissionwerks has support financial grant for our ‘Chin Community Based Rehabilitation’ project. The grant was extended every two years according to the proposed activities by ECDC until today. This is the first disability related project implemented in Chin State for ECDC. The project target area is Hakha and Thantlang township at the beginning but later only at Hakha Township.

Currently there are five project staffs and they are not only implemented the project activities but also become a resource on disability sector in Chin State. They work very closely with the focal ministry, Department of Social Welfare (DSW) and Chin Government.

Apart from the project activities the staffs also collaborate with Basic Education Department (DBE) to support children with disabilities who access mainstream education at regular school from Hakha and Thantlang townships under inclusive education program.    

Our partner from Taiwan, EDEN Social Welfare Foundation, has sponsored some children from ECDC since 2015 until today. At the beginning they sponsored some children from ECDC and also some children from Disabled Development Initiative (DDI), Kalay Myo, Sagaing Region.

Starting from 2017 EDEN Social Welfare Foundation also grant financial for another new program, Capacity Building program for ECDC staff, for three years. Under this project physiotherapists from ECDC has a chance to get training for four weeks at Chunghua Christian Hospital, Taiwan and also delivered some training at ECDC, Myanmar by resource persons from Taiwan as well. 

Currently ECDC is implementing the project, “Nothing about us without all of us: Promoting disability inclusive Chin society for sustainable development”, which is funded by LIFT. The project is two years project and start from October, 2018 will terminate on September, 2021. The project areas are covering six townships of Chin State, namely Tedim, Falam, Hakha, Thantlang, Matupi and Mindat townships.

The specific objective of the project is – “to reduce barriers for PWDs to participate in inclusive development actions, increase access to the rights of WWDs in their community, and have more practice of enacted national level policies and strategic plans in Chin State”.

ECDC is implementing “Building inclusive Early Child Development Centre project” project which is funded by ‘Open Society Myanmar (OSM)’ and the project duration is two years. The project was implemented in five townships from different location, namely, Hakha from Chin State, Kalay Myo from Sagaing Region, Insein from Yangon Region, Pathein from Irrawaddy Region and Pha-an from Karen State. 

The purpose is – “to contribute to strengthening ECD centres in 6 different regions so that they can provide more qualified services engaging values of a pluralistic society; and improving decentralized education system in ECD centres at the community level through promoting their good governance practices and networking among ECD Centre

French Embassy has grant “Make the rights of PWDs real through self-advocacy of Person with Disabilities” project submitted by ECDC. The project is only 11 months, starting from August, 2019 to June, 2020, and is implemented at two places, Kalay township and Dawei township. The objectives of the project are – “To help Person with Disabilities (PWDs) living in Dawei to have more access to their fundamental human rights by reducing attitudinal social and physical barriers through awareness raising by means of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials and training, social inclusion activities and disability accessibility related workshops”

This is the continuation of Lilian Foundation support to ECDC. RCI start handover in 2019 and will continue it in 2020. The project sponsored children with disabilities, under 25 years, to access their rights to education and other basic services and also promote inclusion in the community.  

Silver Lining Foundation (SLF) is our unique partner since 2018. ECDC has a chance to learn Conductive Education (CE) from SLF and start using at Myanmar. SLF support fully to start CE at ECDC such as technical, financial and human resources, etc.

SLF also support not only CE program but also support ECDC operation cost as well since 2019. Starting from 2020 SLF will sponsor 80 children with disabilities from ECDC’s Day Care centre. 

Four staffs from ECDC were visit to Parma, Italy through the sponsorship and invitation of ‘Italy-Myanmar Friendship Association’ in June 2019 for on week. During the visit we have a chance to visit various disability related organization and schools. The Eden and Myanmar delegates also a chance to study at University of Parma about inclusive education.  

This is a very unique opportunities for ECDC’s staffs because we can see and study about how inclusive education is reality in Italy and disability become mainstreaming. It will help the ECDC work back in Myanmar to press on.

Through this exchange program the first person from ECDC has already visit Agape centre at Japan for three weeks in July, 2019 and another staff will visit again in 2020. This exchange program is also very eye opening for us.