The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussions (R/D) with the Government of the Republic of South Africa on August 31 in Pretoria on the technical cooperation project “Expansion of Respite Care Services for Children with Disabilities and Their Families. (Respite care services means services for temporary rest provided to caregivers.)
According to the 2011 South African Census, there are approximately 2.8 million people with disabilities in South Africa, or 7.5% of the total population. As a country that has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the South African government is working to guarantee support for disabled children and their families. However, because community life support services for children with disabilities and their families are not sufficient, family caregivers are mainly responsible for the care of children with disabilities, which, if prolonged and prolonged, is at high risk of leading to neglect and abuse (Community life support services are services that provide children with disabilities and their families with the necessary education, health, welfare, and other services to live in their own community). (Community life support services refer to services such as education, health, and welfare necessary for children with disabilities and their families to live in the community in which they reside).
In order to avoid such risks, the South African government and JICA have agreed to cooperate in introducing public respite care services, based on the judgment that child protection and support for families who are caregivers of children with disabilities are necessary first. In addition to providing respite care services, the project is expected to improve access to education and health services for children with disabilities and economic activities for their family caregivers, in addition to addressing the abandonment and abuse of parental responsibility by providing support to link them to services necessary for community life. This will also promote the participation of children with disabilities and their family caregivers in the community.
JICA has been cooperating with the South African government in the field of disability and development for about 20 years, focusing on “empowerment and mainstreaming of persons with disabilities” and “independent living”. This project will contribute to SDG Goal 1 (poverty), Goal 3 (health and well-being), and Goal 10 (reducing inequalities) by developing a model for the provision of respite care services for children with disabilities and their families. (Reduction of inequalities).
© Source JICA