Children are among the most vulnerable people in emergencies, and the harm they suffer can have lifelong impacts. Green Cross helps children overcome these physical scars through a wide range of medical and rehabilitative services.
Malformations and damage to limbs is one such area that Green Cross responds to. In South-East Asian nations and the countries affected by the Chernobyl disaster, Green Cross supports surgical procedures to help correct malformations and fits children with prosthetic limbs to support them to play active roles in their communities.
In South-East Asia, Green Cross has enabled more than 2,000 Vietnamese children and young adults with disabilities to undergo surgery and receive orthopedic treatment since 1998. And in neighbouring Laos, dozens of families, including school children and teenagers, have received medical and social support since 2011, plus training on health care in Agent Orange-contaminated areas.
In Moldova, SOCMED has helped strengthen local programs to provide rehabilitative care to children with disabilities. In Belarus, children who are blind or suffering from varying levels of sight impairment, and the local caregivers who support them, receive Green Cross assistance in areas of health, education, and integration. At the core of our work to help children overcome disabilities is to enable them to integrate effectively into their communities so they can undergo schooling, develop their characters, and aspire to reach their great potentials. We strive to break barriers that can exclude children, due to their disabilities, from various areas of their communities. Empathy, respect, love and dignity are core principles of our work.
