I’ve awarded a grant to Mary for costs needed to go an Autism Conference.

Mary writes:

‘Then Do Better’ grant will ensure that I can attend the Pan-African Congress on Autism conference 2020, share experiences that will help break the ‘stigma’ barrier, make vital networks, and learn new approaches that will add value to the work of SLAS and to the global autism community.

The Sierra Leone Autistic Society (SLAS) is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Sierra Leone (SL). It is currently the main organization (and one of only two organizations) providing support for people with autism in SL. In 2017, before the establishment of SLAS, there was nowhere a family impacted by autism could turn to for support. Upon relocation to SL I had no school for my daughter who has severe autism to attend and no services to meet her needs. Realizing that this was the plight of many families, I teamed up with a colleague and we started SLAS. Our aim was to provide access to health, education, psychological and social interventions and strategies for people with disabilities, with a specific focus on those with Autism.

To date, SLAS runs a school for children with autism and other neuro-developmental conditions, and we provide a variety of services: health, social and educational. SLAS provides carer support which ensures vital respite. The biggest barrier for people with autism in SL, like many other low-resourced countries is ‘stigma’. Many people still believe that autism is related to witchcraft, etc.  As such, sensitization is key and SLAS works in the communities to demystify these myths. There are many families needing our support, but SLAS currently operates in only two regions of the country, which means that there is still serious lack of support for families impacted by autism.  Whilst our capacity is growing we need support to expand our services.  www.sierraleoneautisticsociety.org - will be on twitter with @InclusiveFutur2

More on the £1K grants for positive impact available here.