Mini BasmaAnnual Report - Year 2009 - 2010

A dream is broken, a dream is rebuilt

draw a dream

Editorial

Every year at SESOBEL we choose a theme for our team, children and youth of SESOBEL toreflect upon. For the year 2009-2010, our theme is, The Elegance of the Heart, which wedefine as the way to understand life without dramatizing it, to accept others despite theirdifferences and without any prejudice or judgments. This elegance of the heart has always accompanied our actions and has permitted us toface ever growing challenges: 512 children and youth have benefited from our services, anumber that continues to increase, thus making SESOBEL a key player in the managementof disabilities in Lebanon. We face new needs as they emerge, such as limited overnightstays for autistic youth to help in their gradual preparation for adult life.With the goal of meeting the expectations of professionals who were concerned withdisability issues, SESOBEL has opened a training center, which this year received 182individuals from different NGOs and universities. In partnership with the European Institutefor Cooperation and Development (IECD), we also provided training sessions on mentaldisability for 25 Syrian NGOs. A project entitled “Children Advocating Children’s Rights” was the highlight of the year 2009-2010. The project was started in 2006 to promote the rights of every child, disabled or not.During a ceremony held at the UNESCO palace, a group of SESOBEL youth and students fromeight different Lebanese schools submitted a list of recommendations to realize the rightsthat were set out during the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. We were able to carry out these innovative projects of national significance despite adecline in our earnings last year because of a decree related to the high cost of living,issued by the Lebanese government and which targets public and private organizations.The support provided by all our partners – various organizations and public or privatefoundations – has permitted SESOBEL to surpass these difficult times and has brought uscloser this year to achieving our initial goals. Meanwhile, our marketing department has recorded a net earnings growth (+5%) due tothe dedicated help of all our friends and volunteers. We have also diversified our fundingresources thanks to new procedures such as the sponsorship of therapy for children andyouth with disabilities.In order to sustain our efforts while improving the quality of our services, several objectiveshave been set for the year 2010-2011: tighter control of expenses, looking for an equity capitalincrease, structuring the communications department, updating our computer system, etc.We have also proposed the creation of a pilot center in Lebanon to welcome and supportchildren and youth with autism, using a holistic and interdisciplinary approach. We make these commitments towards our partners and colleagues, without whom nothingwould be possible, but also towards the children and their families who we receive every dayand who are at the heart of our services.

Fadia SafiPrésident Directeur Général

Dear friends, colleagues, parents and youth,

Our MISSION

To assist the disabled child lead a happy life full of hope despite his disability andthe difficulties he faces.To support and assist the family, keeping in mind that a disability is not a reason toremove the child from his environment.To work with the different components of society to recognize the value of thedisabled child and his right to live in dignity no matter the nature of his disability.To work for the prevention of disabilities.

Age

Handicap

Family Monthly Income

STATISTIQUES

1$=1500L.L.

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PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Year 2009 – 2010

VRP, Vocational Rehabilitation Program, Ain El-Rihani

Received 512 children and youth

Medical and rehabilitative support to 512 children and youth

18,527 actions taken

External care program

Ambulatory Program

The Gait and Motion Analysis lab

Regional welcome center at Jezzine

REHABILITATION PROGRAM

THE SOCIAL ACTION

Pervasive developmental disorders

Diagnostics and orientation

Medical and paramedical checkups – Medical exams and consultation – surgery –treatments (physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, respiratory care,psychomotricity, etc.)

30 youth

106 youth

61 person

20 person

Academic inclusion class at Jezzine’s public schoolVRP, Regional Produce at Kfarhouna 4 youth

9 children

27 children

73 children

57 children

81 children

Physical disability program

Mental disability program

Accompany 485 families

The Family Reception Service / SAF

Educational Programs

44 children

Kindergarten

Home visits Hospital visits

Interviews at SESOBEL

Siblings intervention

53 Familles

385 Visit63 Visit

1,021 interviews

5 meetings, 1 day trip,2 recreational outings

Photos of our Children

Rehabilitation

In class and at the workshops

Extra-curricular activities

At the dawn of its 35 years in the service of children with disabilities and their families,SESOBEL, in cooperation with the French Embassy in Lebanon, organized for twoconsecutive years – from 2009 to 2011 – a number of training classes that dealt withdifferent aspects of disability. The aim of these classes was to:

Raise awareness about the cause and the rights of people with disabilities.Promote the quality of care and support provided to people with disabilities.Enhance the intervention capabilities and expertise of the professionals who assistpeople with disabilities.Involve parents in implementing their child’s life project, thus fostering the child’sintegration in the socio-economic fabric of society.

The training targeted professionals who were concerned with the issues of disabilitiesand who work at NGOs and/or Lebanese universities: speech therapists,physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psycomotor therapists, psychologists,social workers and special education teachers.

November 2009 Module I: Global Functional Motor Evaluation.Module II: Motor Function Measure (MFM)Module III: Organization within socio-medical institutions.Speaker: Mrs. Françoise Girardot, kinesiotherapist – Lyon Hospitals

December 2009Module IV: Keeping progress records and reporting, the work team, themultidisciplinary team, the review meeting.Speaker: Mr. Jean- Marie Miramon, (former General Manager of ADAGES),psychologist, technical advisor, consultant, professor (graduate level) at theuniversities of Toulouse, Montpellier and Marseille.

TRAINING CENTER

THE YEAR'S MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS

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February 2010Module V: Swallowing – Orality – Eating for babies and children. Neuro-alimentarysupport for people with cerebral palsy.Speaker: Mrs. Catherine Senez, SLP who specializes in eating disorders, Bobathtrainer.

April 2010Module VI: Neuro-functional approach to autism: from brain exploration totherapeutics – Exchange and Developmental Therapy: articulation with grouppractice.Speakers: Professor Catherine Barthélemy, child psychiatrist, neurophysiologist, professor,head of department at the Tours University Hospital's child psychiatry department.Mrs. Pascale Dansart, SLP in child psychiatry at the Bretonneau Tours UniversityHospital.

June 2010Module VII: Intellectual disability and early intervention.Speakers:-Dr. Anne Dispa, child psychiatrist.-Dr. Jean-Noël Trouvé, child psychiatrist.

The topics that were covered allowed the professionals to get answers to problemsthat they faced (the real impact on daily practice). They also favored the opening upof care giving to new methods of intervention and efficient, rich and accessible care.

Certificates were distributed to all training participants:182 people; 172 from 32 different organizations and 10 in a private capacity.

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In November 2009, the European Institute for Cooperation and Developmentcommissioned SESOBEL's training center to make an expertise mission in Syria, withthe objective of conducting a comprehensive study on the premises and,consequently, proposing areas of consistent improvement, in terms of technicalsupport (training, guidance and support).

An action plan was proposed which focuses on strengthening the expertise ofpeople working in the facilities and on practice development. This plan will becarried out through:-training and teaching sessions.-supervision, practice and staff support.-conducting evaluations of the global action plan by a person in charge at SESOBEL.

Since April 2010, three training sessions on mental disability have been conductedat the « Al Ard » Centre in Homs.Basic course (1)Intellectual disabilityBasic course (2)Intellectual disabilityBasic course (3)The educational project of the person with intellectual disability

During the year 2009 – 2010, psychologists and social workers organized groupsessions for parental guidance, which targeted two main topics: "Parenting skills" and"The appropriation of power".

The objective of the session on parenting skills is to arm parents with the necessaryskills and techniques for the development and enhancement of their skills. As for thesessions on the appropriation of power, the goal is to enhance the mothers' self-esteem and increase their capacity to be assertive by switching from the role ofpassive spectator to that of player and decision maker.

The two-hour long sessions, moderated by the speakers, were presented in the formof workshops that included parents' testimonials on the daily difficulties they face, aswell as practice and role-playing. At the end of the sessions, the speakers sharedsome scientific information with the participants.

Participants: 11 mothers + 10 couples.

EXPERTISE MISSION IN SYRIA

PARENTAL GUIDANCE

In 2009/2010, we launched the program “Living environment for young autisticchildren” with the objective of creating for them a temporary home adapted to theirdisability and in which they can learn and discover how to live in a group outside oftheir home.

The objective of this program is to:Enable our young autistic children to live in a group, but in the right conditions.Prepare them to live by themselves after their parents are gone.Relieve the parents who are extremely tired from the constant presence of theirautistic child.Allow the siblings to blossom under the best conditions, while benefiting from apeaceful family atmosphere.Help society evolve by:

Presenting a specific structure that is currently missing from the Lebanese society.Creating a single control group in Lebanon that will allow better support for the autistic.

Beneficiaries: 15 youth with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (Autism).

LIVING ENVRIONMENT

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Every child has the right to live like a human being with fullrights and without any discrimination.

It was not by pure chance that SESOEBL decided to promote children's rights. On thecontrary, it was the result of a long period of reflection following a remark by aSESOBEL youth: “We have had enough of people walking by us and looking at us as if we wereobjects, and then leaving without even having tried to communicate with us, orgetting to know us, without having had the chance to even talk to them.”

Thus the project Children Advocating Children’s rights began. It allowed our youthwith disabilities to meet and discuss with other people from the same age, and toget to know each other and to share valuable experiences together. As our founderYvonne Chami says, our objective is to rehabilitate the healthy people and put themin direct contact with those with a disability.

The different steps of the project:Step 1: During the year 2009/2010, the children and youth of SESOBEL visited eightschools where they talked in front of 528 students about the Rights of the Child,based on article 23 of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child,adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

Step 2: Each of the schools which were visited was in charge of organizing an activitypertaining to the right of the child: songs, dances, murals, documentaries, etc.Step 3: Together, the students and the SESOBEL youth launched a campaign topressure social and political officials to preserve the rights of the child.

The project ended with a ceremony organized on Thursday, May 20, 2010 at theUNESCO Palace. The SESOBEL children and the students were able to discuss theirrights with the participants of the roundtable and provided them with the followinglist of recommendations :

Issue a special card for children under the age of 18, which will let them have accessto recreational activities at a reduced price. Exempt all children of entry fees to tourist sites. Educate the children, their parents and the teachers about the rights of the child, inaccordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted by the UnitedNations General Assembly, and work to implement it.Ensure the right to protection against violence. Create a hot line. Enact new laws to prevent child labor and trafficking.

CHILDREN ADVOCATING CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

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Work towards integrating children with special needs in private and public schools.Provide support to these schools by providing them with equipment to renovateschool buildings to make them handicap accessible, training the staff members, aswell as making sure adequate services are available to make the children’sintegration a success.

Turn these schools into “friendly schools” through the development of schoolcurricula that are adapted to all students in order to boost academic integration.

Establish platforms in public and private schools through which the students will beable to assert their rights and express themselves.

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A thousand reasons to smileToday I know that SESOBEL is not only a school for children with disabilities, but aschool for all of us; a school where we learn about real human values; wherechildren teach us, through their enthusiasm and their joy, that if life gives us a goodreason to cry, we can give it a thousand better reasons to smile.

TESTIMONIALS

Our Resources

Our Charges

Our Products

Guéry Nasr, member of the Volunteers' Committee

Sesobel’s finances are monitored by two auditing firms:Antoine J. Haddad - LebanonErnst & Young - France

www.sesobel.org

Ain El-Rihani, Street 11, KesrouanPo. Box : 551 Zouk-Mikaël - Lebanon

Tel : +961 9 233 940 / 2Fax : +961 9 233 943