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Following three children in Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Cambodia, this series of documentaries by ADD International explores what it means to grow up with a disability.

To survive to the age of five is a child’s first challenge in many developing countries – even more so for a disabled one.

A disabled child is more likely to be malnourished and less likely to receive good medical attention. Parents of a disabled child often don’t have the knowledge or the resources to support their son’s or daughter’s development. They often face discrimination and derision by their communities, and even their own families. Poverty and disability are closely related and the struggle continues as the child grows up into adulthood, which comes with a whole new set of challenges.

Of course, there are laws and policies in each country, created in recognition of international conventions to guarantee disabled people equal rights and full inclusion in society. But what does that mean for children in real life?

What does being blind mean for a five-year old in Tanzania? How does a little girl with cerebral palsy live in Burkina Faso? What does a small boy with an amputated leg dream about in Cambodia?

This film will be the first in a series of documentaries following three children under the age of six in three different countries. We will learn, from the perspective of the children and their families, how they live and deal with the disability: how it affects friendships, social status in the community, access to education and chances of employment. It will explore the biggest worries and greatest hopes of the children and their families; the extent to which the community they live in helps or hinders their development; and what the government and disability movement do to help. 

Every three years we will go back to the same three children and see what has and hasn’t changed in their lives. What has blocked or advanced their aspirations? Where are the children and their families now and where do they hope to be in three years’ time?

Illustrating the social and economic effects of disability on children growing up in Africa and Asia, the films will serve as a powerful tool to help change perceptions and practices and, ultimately, the lives of disabled children. ADD International will use the documentaries in collaboration with governments, national and international organisations to advocate for equal rights, respect and resources for disabled children.
 
Your contribution to the making of the films will be a contribution to something far bigger.

To make a contribution, please visit The Three Plus Project

Thank you for making it happen!