Objective:       To ensure disabled children fulfill their potential, by providing them with high quality therapy, social care, education and vocational training; and to equip families and caregivers with the skills, knowledge and experience to fully support the holistic development of the child.

Rationale:       Parents and Family are vital for a child’s development, inclusion, growth and sense of worth. Yet there is little support for families, who have to deal with the stigma and trauma of having a disabled child. There are no systematic pre-natal and post-natal checks for disabilities, and medical staff lack training in the field therefore many disabilities go unrecognized and/or ignored by parents. There is lack of facilities providing skills and knowledge training for the families of disabled people to better meet the needs of their disabled family members. As a result, families have difficulty accessing information, services and home-based intervention programs, which contributes towards a lack of awareness about how to assist and deal with disability-related challenges in their families and in society. A particular burden is often felt by mothers and grandmothers – usually the primary care givers.

Child development and growth can be maximized with the right support to the disabled child. To achieve full growth a holistic approach is needed – dealing with the child’s home situation, care needs, medical needs and educational needs. Through individual assessments, tailored planning and coordinated monitoring better results can be achieved. Through therapy and treatments, children gain better mobility and communication skills, emotional, social and behavioral skills are improved

Beneficiaries number of Day Care (2019-2020 academic year)

Human Resources / Staff strength of ECDC (2019-2020 academic year)

Remark:          Total number of persons with disabilities staff = 7 (male – 5 & female – 2) (10%)

Themes and key activities:                            

   i). Physiotherapy Service

ii). Occupational Therapy Service

iii). Early Intervention Program

iv). Special Education Service

v). Conductive Education service

vi). Social care services

vii). Disabled Sport program

viii). Inclusive Education program

ix). Integrated Support Service (pre-vocational, basic medical care service, diet supplementary, excursion and campaign program, etc.)

x). Parent Care Giver Training

i). Physiotherapy Service] 

Physiotherapy focus on gross motor development which include balance exercises, gait training, strengthening exercises, positioning, passive mobilization exercises, hydrotherapy, group exercises, quality movement, etc. In Eden Centre four qualified physiotherapists are working together with one therapy aide.

At Eden Centre therapists are working with other professional, service providers, as a team under transdisciplinary approach. The therapist goes to class room as needed and work with the teacher.

Care giver training is one of the important services provided by the service providers at Eden Centre. We strongly believe that parents and family members are the best person who can help individual children with disabilities to reach their maximum potential through collaboration with experts from the centre.

ii). Occupational Therapy Service

Occupational Therapy is one of the services we provide at Eden Centre. Occupational Therapy focus on fine motor activities such as hand functions, fingers movement, sensory integration and activities of daily living of the children. In Eden this service was provided by trained staff individually.

The aims of this service are as follow:

• To improve self-reliance and esteem,
• To increase sensation and improve quality performance, movement,
• To play and take a rest properly,
• To improve and provide their learning ability and opportunities, social dealing skill and to train them for pre-vocation skill.
• Care giver training to the parent or main care giver during service provision.

In ECDC our OT staff also involve in care giver training at both in the centre and also in the community as well. She also helps our training team to deliver the skill and knowledge in the community as needed.

iii). Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is one of services provide in Eden Centre. This service was started last few years ago as the first hydrotherapy in Myanmar. Currently we have small hydrotherapy pool and it was used for both individual and group water play session.

Therapist and teachers are used this pool as the child need.

One of the biggest challenges we face in Myanmar is to maintain the international standard of hydrotherapy pool and is also for ECDC as well.

iv). Early Intervention Program

Early Intervention program was started in ECDC since last decade ago. This is for children with under 5 age groups. The main purpose of this service is to identify the developmental delay of the child as early as possible and provide necessary intervention by skill staff at ECDC properly.

At Eden Day Care centre we have two class-rooms for this program, means for children with under five years. Teacher assess which developmental milestone is delay and set treatment plan properly, provide services as needed.

There are three main objectives, firstly, to maximize the child development, especially which is delay domain; secondly to support the parents and family members by sharing the reality of the child situation and collaborate with them to reach the child’s potential and finally, to promote inclusion of both children and family in their own community with dignity.

v). Special Education Service

Special Education is not like formal education. It is design for children with special needs to meet their learning abilities, create specific curriculum and teaching pedagogies, etc. In other word, special education is an education for children who learn differently and/or specifically, not like regular learning process as other children and the aim is to support each learner to have and access his/her rights to education with specific teaching method using appropriate curriculum for individual learner by trained teacher.

vi). Conductive Education service

Conductive Education is a specific education and rehabilitation services for neuro-motor disorder such as Cerebral Palsy (CP) and Stroke patient.

ECDC has learn this new technique from ‘Silver Lining Foundation (SLF)’, Naning, China in December, 2017 and start this service at Eden Centre with the help of SLF.

Currently there are two class rooms and 20 children with Cerebral Palsy are receiving this service. In our Conductive Education program there are have two teachers, two physiotherapist and one social worker are working. This is a new approach and we are very excited to learn more about this technique and hope that in future ECDC can spread this technique around the country to benefit more children with disabilities.

vii). Social care services

In Eden we recruit Social Worker, who graduate post graduate diploma course from Yangon University since 2013. As ECDC is a charity organization and always try to deliver quality services which are essential for children with disabilities. Our Social Worker (SW) focus on –

• collecting facts and data about the child and family as much as possible so the we can give the appropriate services as needed,
• Visits to their home in the community and learn about the environment of the child,
• Counselling to some parents as needed,
• Listening the voices of the parents and sharing experiences of another parent,
• Help parent to solve their own problem,
• Provide some nutritious foods and diet to mal-nutrition children,
• Provide basic medical care and referral to further tertiary medical services,
• To arrange outing and excursion program for both children and parents to know each other so that they can share their experiences openly,   

viii). Disabled Sport program

Disabled Sport is a sport specifically design for various types of disabilities such as physical, intellectual and hearing, etc. ‘Paralympics’ is for physical disabilities, ‘Special Olympics’ is for intellectual disabilities and ‘Deaflympics’ is for hearing impaired persons. 

ECDC has recruit one physiotherapist as disabled sport officer and another physical impaired person as assistant. We have in-door and out-door sport program for ECDC students. In out-door sport program we also invite disabled person from community and also from other centre. Our disabled sport officer was also help Myanmar Paralympic Sport Federation as Boccia trainer. Currently she holds sport director post in Special Olympics Myanmar. Some ECDC staffs are working not only for the centre but also for the country as needed.

ix). Inclusive Education program

Current Inclusive Education (IE) program of ECDC is continuous follow up program for the previous Inclusive Education 230 students. At the same time ECDC was assigned to provide stiphen to 230 children with disabilities who is accessing mainstream regular education at various basic schools from Yangon Region. ECDC is also supporting children with disabilities —– students who access mainstream education in regular formal school from Kalay Myo, Sagaing Region and from Hakha and Thantlang Township, Chin State by the Basic Education Department (DBE), Ministry of Education (MOE). Those student lists are provided by ECDC.   

ECDC also help those children to access basic medical care services as needed. Sometime we also support new case to access further necessary services such as wheel chair, splint, and information, etc. Currently ECDC can recruit only one staff, Ms. Lay Lay Naing. We are planning to expense the services in coming days and recruit more staff.

x). Integrated Support Service (pre-vocational, basic medical care service, diet supplementary, excursion and campaign program, etc.)

IN Eden there are other integrated support services such as

• pre-vocational training for elder students and some of our ex-students. This service is provided regularly at Rose class room by assign staff.
• Basic medical care service for all children from Eden Centre are made possible through collaboration with some medical volunteer service provider, e.g. Myanmar Compassion Project (MCP), Myanmar Council of Churches medical team, etc.
• Diet supplementary for all children those who come to Eden Centre were provided daily according to the design advice by nutritionist.
• ECDC was arrange excursion and outing program for both children and parents occasionally and is arranges by every classroom.
• ECDC organize celebration of “International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD)”, Christmas and Eden School closing, etc.
• Sometime ECDC also conduct advocacy event such as “We Ring the Bell’ for the rights to education of children with disabilities.
• ECDC has formed “Parent Teacher Association (PTA)” since it was established in 2000. PTA has regular bi-annual meeting and members from PTA are involved in Eden Board.
• At ECDC every month birth day celebration for both children and staffs are organized regularly. For children it was done at class room or during circle time. Sometime parent has donated for birth day celebration of their child.
• ECDC was form “Ambassador Team” for advocacy with our PWD staffs and ex-student. Advocacy was done occasionally not only in Yangon but also in our project areas around the country.

Care giver training gat community by our PT.
Care giver training for partner staffs.

   Excursion trip to Zoo with children, parent  & staff

Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting.

Eden Ambassador team doing advocacy       Snack time for students at Eden Day Care

Basic Medical care for students, parents and staffs (Dental care, Eye care and general health)

Bakery training at Eden by students.        Handicraft, basket weaving, pre-vocational

xi). Empowering parents and Care Giver Training

Since last two years ECDC has put more afford to build capacity for parents and basic care givers, strengthen collaboration with them and also starting from last year ECDC has allocated budget for parent program. We believe that parent involvement is vital to maximize the child potential and most effective because most of the time the child spend with family members. This is one of the important shifts ECDC has made since last two years. To make wholistic care and real inclusion of children with disabilities parent and family member role is most important, more than service providers. Service provider role is to facilitate and support technically to main care giver especially in disability field. We use to say that no one cannot love children with disabilities more than their parent and love is the most essential for them to enjoy their human being and become real inclusion in every sector of their life course.   

ECDC provide care giver training to parent in many ways such as during assessment, setting treatment goals for a child, identifying child’s progress after services, on job training to each parent during therapy and education sessions. Sometime ECDC organize care giver training for a group of parents and family members at Eden. We also provide some IEC materials, video documents and encourage them to explore internet, at provide weblinks.  

Basic Care giver training at Eden to empower family members.

Objective:       To raise community awareness of the worth and capacity of people with disabilities, leading to their increased inclusion in mainstream life.

Themes and key activities:   

 i). Community Based Rehabilitation project                                                                             ii). Inclusive Education project                                                                                                   iii). Mainstreaming and Inclusion Disabilities project                                                         iv). Capacity building for PWDs, SHGs and DPOs project                                                      v). Awareness rising, barrier free renovation, etc. related activities

i). Community Based Rehabilitation project

ECDC has started it first ‘Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR)’ project at Hlaingtharyar Township, Yangon in early 2007. This project was funded by our long-term partner “Association for Aids and Relief (AAR), Japan” for four years.

So far ECDC has already implemented more than seven CBR/CNID projects around the country. Some of our partner, donors for this CBR projects are European Union, Triangle GH from French, Kindermissionwerk from Germany. Currently we are implementing CBR project in Hakha and Thantlang Township, Chin State.

CBR is a development program for persons with disabilities and ECDC always disseminate the concept of ‘Social Model of Disability’, the concept of ‘Inclusive Education (IE)’ and empowering persons with disability. In another words, ECDC is focusing disability ‘AFFAIR’ rather than disability ‘WELFARE’ in every work implemented since 2006 to today. 

ii). Inclusive Education project

ECDC has implement Inclusive Education (IE) related project since early 2007 to 2014, more than ten years and the project was funded by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) (formerly called ‘German Agro Action (GAA)’ at the beginning of our partnership). During these period ECDC has a chance to conduct two significant research with the help of researcher from VSO and CUSO. The first research, “A space to learn for all children? Inclusive education and children with disabilities in Yangon, Myanmar”, was conducted in 2014 and published in 2015. The second research, “The first Golden Seeds of Inclusive Education: A case study of teacher’s experiences, parent’s perceptions, and the role of Township Education Officers in the implementation of inclusive education in regular schools in Yangon, Myanmar“, is conducted in 2017 and published in 2017.

This project cover ten townships from Yangon Region, 50 basic education department schools and more than 250 children with disabilities. The project mainly disseminate the concept of inclusive education from social model perspective, provide teacher training so that they have knowledge and skill to handle children with disabilities in class room, provide other necessary support like stationaries, transportation, basic medical care service and renovating barrier free environment at school, etc.

iii). Mainstreaming and Inclusion Disabilities project

ECDC is also trying to promote mainstreaming disability is every sector, including both government department work and private company. During the project period we have empower disability related trainings such as care giver, disability awareness, inclusive education concept, etc. to other partners organization’s project staffs and also community leaders.

ECDC also focusing to have strong disability related legislation, policies and system in Myanmar.

Collaboration with government departments, community development agencies and faith-based groups to promote mainstreaming disability in every sector.    

iv). Capacity building for PWDs, SHGs and DPOs project

ECDC was always try to form SHGs and DPOs in wherever disability project is implemented. During and after project period strengthening and capacity building for SHGs and DPOs was done through own project and/or through collaboration with other stakeholders. Information are always shared among them.

Currently ECDC is trying to facilitate to form SHGs and DPOs in every township of Chin State so that Township level, District level and State level DPO will form and actively involve in Myanmar disability movement. This is carried out through current disability project run by ECDC in Chin State. 

ECDC believes that the role of DPOs and Myanmar Federation of Persons with Disabilities (MFPD) is vital to make the disability rights real in Myanmar society.

v). Awareness rising, barrier free renovation, etc. related activities

ECDC is the pioneer organization who disseminate ‘Social Model of Disability’ in Myanmar since 2006 through project implementation, conducting various types of trainings such as Disability Awareness Trainings (DAT), Disability and Equality (DET) training, Inclusive Education (IE) training and Leadership training, etc.

Barrier Free renovation for some basic schools and public areas are carried out through various project implementation around the country. Organizing to celebrate “International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD)” from various township are also facilitated by ECDC since 2007.

Objective:       To strengthen and empower the disability support sector (from grass root to national level), improving services through awareness, training, evidence-based research, networking & advocacy activities

Themes and key activities:   

           i). Building Capacity and Resources

            ii). Research and Innovation

            iii). Advocacy

            iv). Publication and learning Hub

            v). Networking, Collaboration and partnership building (both local and aboard)

i). Building Capacity and Resources

ECDC is try to seek the opportunities to build the capacity of both individual person with disabilities (PWD) and Disabled people organizations (DPOs) since 2007 especially through disseminating the concept of disability according to “Social Model of Disability”.

ECDC is making disability related resources available as much as possible in terms of not only disability related literature but also disability related service provision techniques. ECDC has form training Unit and delivered skill related training throughout the country.

ECDC also facilitate to form various network or other association such as “Myanmar Community Based rehabilitation Network and Myanmar Special Education Association (MSEA), etc.

ECDC always participate both Government leads committee such as ‘Early Childhood Intervention Task Force Committee, Disability related Education Sub-committee, etc. and also private sector network such as ‘National Network for Education Reform (NNER)’, etc.   

ii). Research and Innovation

Based up on more than ten years experiences in implementing Inclusive Education (IE) project ECDC has conducted research in 2015 and 2017 through the help of our partners. This is one of the master piece of ECDC so far.

ECDC also trying to create an opportunity to have disability studies course available in some seminary schools. Disability Studies certificate course was also started by ECDC last ten years ago and conducted three batches.

iii). Advocacy

ECDC involves actively in advocating fort he rights to education of children with disabilities since 2014. The first research was make use as advocacy document by ECDC and successfully done some advocacy events with senior officers from Ministry of Education and also with members of Parliaments (MPs) from Naypyitaw.

We formed ‘Ambassador advocacy Team’ with PWD staff from Eden and some ex-students and organize advocacy event regularly e.g. in IDPD day celebration, Eden School closing event, Ring the Bell activities, etc.

To strengthen disability related legislation and policies in Myanmar ECDC will continue advocacy activities in coming days. ECDC is one of the partners for advocacy event organized by some advocacy groups such as ‘Yangon School for Political Science (YSPS)’, ‘National Network for Education Reform (NNER)’ and Myanmar Federation of Persons with Disabilities (MFPD).  

iv). Publication and learning Hub

ECDC has translate some disability related important documents into local language such as “Standard Rules”, UN CRPD, Article – 24, etc.

ECDC also published many disability related brochures, booklets and also translate some books such as Stigma, From where I sit, Inclusive Education where there is few resources, etc. Teacher hand books also translated.

The first disability related periodic magazine, ‘Ah Lin Thit Megazine’ was published by ECDC.

Current Eden Library is the only disability related library in Myanmar with more and 2000 disability related books and other form of resources in both local and English language.

v). Networking, Collaboration and partnership building (both local and aboard)

ECDC is collaborate with all stakeholders such as government sector, private sector and community development agencies.

ECDC also participate disability related regional level conference, workshop and seminars since the beginning. In early 2010 ECDC join regional disability training organized by “Asia Pacific Disability Development Centre (APCD)’ Thailand. Recently, ECDC join Southeast Asia Conference at Katmandu, Nepal.  

Through this networking and collaboration ECDC is actively participate for strengthening disability related legislation and policies in Myanmar.

Objective:       For Eden to be a benchmark centre and leading resource for people with disabilities, through extensive and sustainable operations

Themes and key activities:   

             i). Eden Training Unit

             ii). Organizational Development

            iii). Capacity Building for staffs (through collaboration with partner organizations)

            iv). Communication (webpage, Facebook, IEC materials, annual report,

            v). Documentation, Evaluation

            vi). Fund Raising events (Calendar, Food fare, Lucky draw, etc.)

            vii). Networking, Collaboration and partnership building

i). Eden Training Unit

ECDC has formed ‘Training Unit’ in 2017. The main aim for this new unit is to help and support awareness and/or skill related training as required to other stakeholders such as those who want to make disability mainstreaming in their respective community development work, those who want to start day care or service provision centre in the community and at the same time raise fund for ECDC charity work by selling services, disability related skill training, literature resources and other resources, etc.

Now disability awareness is increased more and more in Myanmar and many people want to start disability service provision centre or want to make disability mainstreaming in their program.

ECDC is now empowering some Early Child care schools to become inclusive school by providing care giver training to the teachers so that they can start admit and accept children with disabilities in their nursery school.

ii). Organizational Development

ECDC is conducting ‘Organization Development (OD)’ workshop by hiring private agency in 2014-15 and regularly review our own policies by ourselves and/or with the help of expert as well. We are always trying to improve and leverage with other NGOs not only from local but also from aboard.

ECDC is reaching newly form both disability related organization and other groups to have good governance, to have accountability and transparency in their work. Newly formed Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Disabled People Organizations (DPOs) from Kalay area, Chin State, Yangon areas has been provided some organization development workshop.  

iii). Capacity Building for staffs (through collaboration with partner organizations)

ECDC is always seek opportunities to build the capacity of our staffs. There are lack of disability related skill and technique training in Myanmar. When ever we have a chance to attend local seminar or workshop which is related to disability, we send our staffs to attend it.

Human Resource department of ECDC also arranging some certificate course for staff according to each skill needed. ECDC also send our staff to other countries to have training through collaboration with partner organizations.

Recently Physiotherapist and teachers from Conductive Education program have a chance to attend few weeks training at Silver Lining Foundation, Nanning, China and also our physiotherapists from Rehabilitation department has a chance to attend four weeks training at Chunghua Christian Hospital, Taiwan.

Program Coordinator (Day Care) has a chance to visit Japan for three weeks to learn how disability related program was run in Agape Centre in Japan because Japan Christion Work has invited us to have exchange program.   

iv). Communication (webpage, Facebook, IEC materials, annual report,

ECDC is develop many ways and means to develop communication with our stakeholders all the time. As charity organization communication is vital for our existing and success. ECDC has own web page, face book account for social media, published many Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials.

ECDC also prepared annual report in both local and English language. We are planning to organize 20^th anniversary in coming 2020 and publishing Eden 29^th anniversary magazine. Some local media such as journal, television channel and news also make interview Eden staff, especially when we organize some events, and spread about ECDC to the public.

v). Documentation, Evaluation

ECDC has made some documentary for its work, especially during project implementation.

Not only evaluation regards to project based but also evaluation of the organization also conducts regularly. All organization related policies and documents were review and evaluate periodically.

vi). Fund Raising events (Calendar, Food fare, Lucky draw, etc.)

As ECDC is a charity organization ECDC staff has organize fund raising event at least three time per year. This event is not only to collect money but also to promote awareness about ECDC. Eden Calendar was prepared every year. Food fare and Lucky Draw events also organized by Eden staff every year. ECDC staff are scarifying their time, skill and energy for children with disabilities all the time.

vii). Networking, Collaboration and partnership building

ECDC is always looking for parentship and will maintain collaboration with existing partners as well. As charity organization healthy partnership is essential for the organization sustainable and effectiveness. We would like to thank for all our partners a long 20 years journey of Eden’s live. ECDC cannot have all these milestones without our partners. What Eden today is because of those partnership blessings. We will keep in learning to mature in coming days through partnership.    

Since 2018 ECDC has a chance to become specific partner with ‘Silver Lining Foundation (SLF)’. The partnership is very unique means the first kind of ECDC’s history within these 20 years. We learn Conductive Education (CE) from SLF and the concept of CE become the whole organization concept.