KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – Ziyad is forced to play football in streets or in pitches that are unsuited for children with disabilities; he thus often returns with injuries.
Ziyad Hidaui, 9, suffers from a disability in his legs and spine, forcing him to use his hands to walk and play football.
Children with disabilities in Kobani complain about a lack of specialized educational and recreational centers.
The center for children with disabilities in Kobani is developing a number of projects, but the lack of funding from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and NGOs stands in the way of their implementation.
Lack of recreational activities
Ziyad’s mother, Zozan Ali, 35, says that Kobani lacks sports pitches and instruments meant for children with disabilities.
Ali, a mother of five, adds that Ziyad is fond of music and likes playing football, but that his condition hinders him from practicing his hobbies.
Adding to their plight, the mother said, children with disabilities are repeatedly bullied by their peers when they play together.
The mother demanded that such centers be opened so that children with disabilities can enjoy their hobbies.
She believes that the absence of such centers negatively affects these children, especially when they see their peers pursuing their hobbies.
Her child suffers from a deficiency in three vertebrae in the spine, and his feet are bent and joined. He needs an operation in Canada, but they cannot afford the costs of that operation, the mother tells North Press.
She hopes that one day her dream can be fulfilled and she will see her child enjoy his hobbies, which are football, swimming and playing violin.
Need for schools
Fatima Khalil, 37, who has five children, including a child with disabilities, demands a school be opened for the disabled so they can continue their education, similar to other children.
Fatima’s disabled son, Chakdar Issa, 14, suffers from hearing loss, as he was diagnosed with diabetes when he was five.
Khalil said she had to pull her son out of school after he lost his hearing and because she feared for his health, as he needs special care, which is not available in schools.
Chakdar was diagnosed with diabetes nine years ago, and suffered damage to his hearing nerves five years after his diagnoses. He lost his hearing and his eyes were damaged. He had to wear glasses until his eyes improved. He recently suffered other complications and his bladder was damaged. He needed intensive care, sometimes lasting for a week.
His mother said she sent him to the Hevi center for the disabled because the school was unable to act when his sugar levels rose. He has been in the center for two years and it has positively improved his mental state.
Khalil adds that the problem is that the center only receives children from the age of four until 14. She does not know where to send him when he turns 15.
At the same time, the family struggles to secure their son’s expensive medicine, which he needs a constant supply of. They also note that Kobani needs a center specialized in dealing with disable children, with a professional staff.
In addition, Chakdar needs surgery for his pancreas, and such operations are carried out outside Syria, but they do not have the capabilities to send him abroad. Despite submitting his health records to humanitarian organizations, they have not yet received a response.
Khalil appeals to the AANES and NGOs to establish a center or a specialized school for such cases, since the region lacks such schools.
The woman hopes all disabled children of her city continue their education to acquire degrees, especially since these children’s intelligence exceeds their peers’.
Statistics
Jihad Himo, a member at the Center for People with Special Needs in Kobani, said that the number of people with special needs in Kobani and its countryside is about 4,000, including motor disabilities, the deaf-mute, dumb, and blind.
He adds that the center presented several projects to the Autonomous Administration, some of which have been implemented, while others still need support from the AANES and humanitarian organizations.
There is a physical treatment center, which was modernized and developed in 2020 due to an increase in the number of people with mobility disabilities, Himo further explained.
The center consists of a staff of five assistants and a doctor specializing in physical therapy. 150 to 200 people benefit from it.
Those who visit the center suffer from cerebral atrophy, quadriplegia, or strokes, Himo noted.
There is a specialized school for the blind in Kobani. It receives 12 students, most of whom are children, but it needs more support.
Children and the impact of war
Most of the people with special needs in Kobani are children. The war has increased their number.
Himo indicated that since 2015, the number of children who have become disabled as a result of war increased to 800.
The remnants of war, the lack of health awareness, and relatives inter-marrying are among the main reasons for the increase in the number of people with special needs in the region, Himo believes.
He further explained that another project that has yet to be implemented and that needs support is a school for children with special needs.
“Because there are some children who cannot go to schools like their peers, where they face challenges such as bullying,” he noted.
“The AANES gave us a center in Mesthanour Hill, which was a children’s hospital before, in order to turn it into a school, but Turkey bombed that school last November, which halted the project,” he said
No support to implement projects
Himo appeals to civil society organizations and the AANES to support them in the implementation of the project.
“The AANES can help in securing a site for the school, and the civil society organizations in funding costs of construction and securing supplies for the school,” he told North Press.
He said that there is another submitted proposal for sports activities’ space for people with special needs, but the project needs support in order to be implemented.
Himo adds that the sport’s site needs playgrounds and a swimming pools equipped for people with special needs, so that they can enjoy their activities.
Himo holds the humanitarian organizations responsible for supporting them that they can help people with special needs in the region, especially since they are the most affected by natural disasters and wars.