Inspiring Everyday Superheroes

CHILD Foundation- Countrywide Health Initiative for Learning and Development, is an organization founded in 2011 by Tahrin Aman and Anowara Aana Aman (Co-founder). The main principle of this initiative is to extend knowledge about mental health issues throughout the country and break social stereotypes. Tunajina Islam cooked up an interview with Anowara Aana Aman, the co-founder of this organization, who gives us insight into the basics of how CHILD Foundation enriches the lives of special needs children.

Creating a better tomorrow:
“Inspiring everyday superheroes” is the motto they live by. “We consider the children superheroes, and the parent’s second-tier heroes,” Aana says. And that is why CHILD Foundation works with a holistic approach and believes that the support a child gets is not enough if their surroundings aren’t accommodating their needs. They dedicate workshops to parents because they believe that when parents actively work with the children, the results double. So, they go above and beyond the basic support for the children and provide resources for parents, teachers, doctors, therapists, and the whole shebang. To add more, they concentrate efforts in sensitivity training for the youth to empathize and be familiar with these mental challenges. From Dhaka University to Brac and even North South University, they are reaching a mass number of students. The youth is essential in creating a better tomorrow because they are the future parents, teachers, and doctors, and can shape the progression of mental health awareness.

What’s on the agenda:
Art for autism:
Aana stresses the fact that we need to reflect on the children’s abilities not only their disabilities. Through this program, we can celebrate their skills and talents while giving them a source to express themselves. These paintings yield profits that are given back to them, which is a confidence boost for them knowing that their talents are going appreciated and actually means something to someone.
Walk for awareness:
Their 2nd walk for awareness took place on 26th April as a tribute to international autism awareness day, 2nd April. This year’s event gathered a whopping number of around 1000 people. The children showcase their talents and have a day filled with fun and warm acknowledgments.
Radio talk show:
A 28 episode web series on 94.4 Spice FM, Mental Health Matters, is solely devoted to widening the spheres of mental health awareness.

Prospects:
Updating the surroundings of the children to close the gap between them and society is the ultimate goal. Parents have trouble seeing beyond the shadow of social taboos. They worry about being judged or shamed when they should be celebrating the uniqueness of their children. Barrister Kazi Tamrin Rashed, treasurer of BIRBA (Bangladesh Integrated Rural Based Association) and close companion of Aana, adds to this by expressing that naturalizing this phenomenon is a key goal for this organization. “Adapting society to fit their needs so they feel wholeheartedly apart of it is vital,” he says. Furthermore, CHILD Foundation is centralized and their focus is in Dhaka, but their goal is to work countrywide and hope to reach areas in rural locations to educate them in this important matter. “What we give to them is little. They have given us more. By letting us help them, they fulfill something in our hearts that simply money cannot buy,” Aana says.

A message to the readers:
“Everyone’s going through some kind of battle. But everyone’s struggles are different. Put yourself in their shoes and understand they go through the everyday struggles, but with a mentally challenged health. Yet they carry each day with a smile. We need to start thinking differently and be more empathetic and understanding and compassionate. Only then good things will happen.” – Anowara Aana Aman
“There is so much we can learn from them. Their positivity in the face of struggles, and their genuine happiness. They are examples of the society of how we should be, and how we should treat each other.” – Barrister Kazi Tamrin Rashed