About us updated

ABOUT US

Christabel Otueroro Foundation (COF) a.k.a Friends of Special Children Foundation (FSCF), is a

nongovernmental organisation (NGO)founded August 2013 with advocacy office in Edo State,

exclusively charitable and developments oriented working for children living with disabilities

such as Physically challenged, Visually impaired, hearing impairment and mute, intellectually

challenged, physiological and psychosomatic deformation e.t.c.

Our Aims and Objectives

To work for the future and well-being of the children with disabilities.

To address issues of marginilisation, stigmatisation and exclusion of children with disabilities

from certain segments of the society.

To build a link and bridges between children with disabilities and their parents, siblings, peers

and the general public.

To facilitate improved network and collaboration among NGOS in related thematic focus.

To mobilise public and private sector for the purpose of creating awareness

Our Vision

A world of equal opportunities for children with disabilities.

Our Mission

Promoting the Rights, Health, Education and public perception of children with disabilities

Our Core Values

Empathy, Accountability, Integrity, Collaboration and Selfless Services.

OUR STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING OUR OBJECTIVES

* Advocacy

* Awareness raising campaign, rallies etc.

* Counseling’s

* Productions and distributions of information, education and

Communicative materials.

* Providing forum and platforms for parents, expecting mothers to engage each other’s and

stakeholders on how to prevent and reducing to a barest minimum challenges faced by the 

children.

Our Passion

COF is involve in series of public enlightenments, Television and radio programs, in market

places, community engagements, seminars, workshops and forums where stakeholders gather 

to deliberates on issues regarding children living with durability’s .COF also partners with other 

NGOs, CBOs, CSOs, and Government Agencies in achieving goals and objectives of the

Foundation.

Every 24th December COF organise Christmas party for children,

Scholarships and welfare supports are also given to children living with disabilities through sisters

NGOs and private individuals.

COF offers free counseling and support programs for parents of children living with disabilities to

help boost their morals and help them cope and surmount challenges faced on a daily basics

raising their children.

Making life better for children with disabilities

Due to stigma and limited resources, children with disabilities are frequently isolated from social

and civic life in low- and middle-income countries. However, this could soon change. Christabel

Otueroro Foundation to pilot a project designed to reduce stigma and improve the quality of life

for children with disabilities in Edo State , Nigeria.

“Some families hide their children with disabilities due to shame but also fear for safety,” “In

some places, community members believe that a disability is caused by curse or is contagious,

furthering sigma and isolation and puts children at risk for acts of violence.”

Christabel Otueroro Foundation will collaborate with partners to implement and test an

intervention to mitigate these isolating factors through family and community engagement,

advocacy, skill building and systems linkages.

COF plan to begin implementing a project with an international NGOs dedicated to

strengthening and supporting under-resourced communities in Nigeria through healthcare

programs and initiatives.

Project which includes conducting a survey to estimate the prevalence of children with

disabilities and to establish baseline parent knowledge, environmental conditions and

community perceptions of disability.

“Stigma isolates children with disabilities and their families, and that leaves the families on their 

own to earn money, get water and engage in community life,” Hearst said. “In some cases,

husbands leave when there is a disabled child, leaving the mother to manage it all. In other 

cases, the grandmother cares for many children because the HIV/AIDS crisis devastated an

entire generation of adults.

The project also involves developing a curriculum for a “train the trainer” approach to community

education. The trainers—professional staff from government and private health clinics and

social welfare offices—will train community outreach workers to engage with residents on

specific topics. The pilot ultimately aims to increase the knowledge and skills of volunteers and

community leaders, decrease stigma and build social support for children with disabilities and

their families.

“If the community understands the causes of disability and the child’s potential contribution to

social and civic life,” said Hearst, “they will be more supportive of the family and child. This will

result in less isolation, less violence and less hiding. Parents will be able to get support and

economic development.”

The M&E officer from COF will lead the monitoring and evaluation of the project with support

from Partners. Results will be disseminated in the 2023, with intention to scale up the

intervention by replicating it in other states of Nigeria.

ChristabelOtueroro Foundation

COF improves lives by working toward a just, peaceful and healthy future. Built on faith in

entrepreneurial creativity, the foundation accelerates systemic change by nurturing promising

new possibilities and partnerships in the areas of global development, education and health. For 

7-plus years, COF approach has been guided by the pioneering design-build legacy of the

founder as it collaborates with experts to design and build opportunities and favorable

environments for change to take hold.