Special Hope Network

Our mission is to bring glory to God by creating a world where kids with intellectual disabilities are valued. We do this by impacting communities so local community services each improve care to children who have special needs through our training. We are located in Lusaka, Zambia, where we have Community Care Centers that train parents in all aspects of parenting a child who has an intellectual disability in a setting with other mothers/caregivers and their children. We train them in academics, communication, motor skills, nutrition and feeding, adaptive skills, and in general advocacy for their child. Children with intellectual disabilities in Zambia don't have many places where t... read more Our mission is to bring glory to God by creating a world where kids with intellectual disabilities are valued. We do this by impacting communities so local community services each improve care to children who have special needs through our training. We are located in Lusaka, Zambia, where we have Community Care Centers that train parents in all aspects of parenting a child who has an intellectual disability in a setting with other mothers/caregivers and their children. We train them in academics, communication, motor skills, nutrition and feeding, adaptive skills, and in general advocacy for their child. Children with intellectual disabilities in Zambia don't have many places where they are accepted and loved for who they are, so Special Hope Network Community Care Centers hope to spread acceptance and inclusion into all areas of society. We do this by training church leaders, clinical workers, and other community leaders with facts about disability, and what they can do for children with special needs and their families. We specifically train churches with the knowledge to be a welcoming community for a family who otherwise would, in most instances, leave their child at home, locked away, in order to attend church. We specifically train nursing staff at local clinics in early identification of children with special needs, so they can receive the medical care they need from as early an age as is possible. We are also working to teach traditional healers about disability since they are usually the first people that a family with a child who has an intellectual disability turn to for help and information.