A special Plan for children in Togo
Marbelle was born 7 years ago, in the dusty remote village of Pagala Gare in Central Togo. She was a healthy baby, and a joy to her parents who already had a little boy. Her father also had another wife, with whom he had four children, and the family were very happy with the new baby Marbelle.
Then when she was three years old, Marbelle had an unexplained fit, resulting in her falling into a coma. Her family were devastated, especially her mother, who was so heartbroken she fled the village, leaving Marbelle and her brother with her husband and his second wife.
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Marbelle had changed
Marbelle stayed in a coma for two long months. Then suddenly she woke up. But Marbelle had changed. The illness that had struck her down (suspected now to be a deadly strain of cerebral malaria) had left her permanently disabled; unable to walk or talk.
For three years little Marbelle remained in her home under the care of her step mother, who didn’t understand what had happened the little girl, and feared it was some kind of sorcery that had affected Marbelle.
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The rights of disabled children
Then last year, Plan and partner organisation Envol came to the remote village, calling village meetings, holding trainings and raising awareness about disabilities and the rights of disabled children. Marbelle’s step mother volunteered to join the committee of the new project which was called Community Based Rehabilitation. She received specific training on the rights of disabled children, the causes and consequences of disabilities, and various ways that disabilities can be prevented. The role of the committee was to share this information with the community, and to support two recently recruited CBR village agents, who were starting up specific classes for disabled children in a newly constructed classroom in the local primary school. Marbelle was enrolled in the classes.
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She speaks three languages
Now, a year later, I had the pleasure and privilege to meet Marbelle. She is a beautiful 7 year old, with intelligent eyes and a cheeky smile. Thanks to the physical rehabilitation she received at the centre, she can now walk; and she walked over to me to shake my hand with a firm handshake. I spoke to her in French, not knowing if she would understand my simple greeting. She did, and responded warmly, hesitantly forming the words. Through her classes three times a week at the primary school, not only has she learned to speak, but she can now speak three languages, her step-mother informed me proudly.
Marbelle loves the classes, especially music and dance, and she loves being with other children her own age, both in the class and in the primary school, where she goes every day with all the other village children. The CBR agents are delighted with her amazing progress, and hope that next year she can be integrated into the mainstream school. That is her wish also; when I asked her what she would like to do in the future, she simply stated that she would like to be in CP2 (the equivalent of 2nd class in primary school). A simple wish, but one from the heart of a child who thought she would never have that chance.
Thanks to Plan’s CBR project, her wish can come true, and Marbelle’s right to education can be fulfilled.
Aine Magee, Programme Officer at Plan Ireland
