Embracing diversity, equality, and inclusion: Reflections from the Uganda Parenting for Respectability -Digital intervention
Embracing diversity, equality, and inclusion: Reflections from the Uganda Parenting for Respectability -Digital intervention
In July 2023, in collaboration with the Uganda Medical Research Council (MRC), Makerere University Child Health and Development Centre (CHDC) brought on board four talented graduate interns, two living with one or more disabilities and paired with a peer without disability, on a placement with the Parenting for Respectability-Digital Project. The three-month placement aimed to provide the interns with valuable research work experience as well as encourage and facilitate youth-led disabilities knowledge sharing and awareness raising. The arrival of the interns was timely as it coincided with plans by the CHDC research team to develop a digital version of the PfR programme through the Global Parenting Initiative (GPI) funding. Thus, during their placement, the interns were mentored and supported to undertake different activities to ensure that the digital version of PfR is accessible to parents with disabilities and also create new content addressing the needs of parents with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities.
“During this internship programme, we have been providing mentorship and fostering the interns’ research skills by actively engaging them in all our activities. When we conduct outreach initiatives, we include them, and they have even had the opportunity to join us in the field to gather data. Additionally, we have collaborated with them to improve the disability inclusion aspects of our content and approach on the PfR programme,” says Dr Betty Okot, a postdoctoral researcher on the PfR programme.
Dr Godfrey Siu, the Leader of the Families and Parenting Programme at CHDC says that presence and activities of the disabled interns to integrate disabilities content into the Parenting Programme has been remarkable and has been greatly appreciated by CHDC collaborators, including the Gender Ministry. The success of this phase of the internship programme attracted interest from the GPI who have offered a small grant through the Emerging Trend Fund supported by the LEGO Foundation to extend their placement at CHDC by six months. The interns will be guided day-to-day by Dr Betty Okot, and supported by Dr Godfrey, CHDC Director Dr. Herbert Muyinda, and GPI Disability Inclusion Fellow, Zuyi Fang. The programme will run from November 2023 to April 2024.
“As their time was winding up, we considered the fact that these are recent graduates who are currently unemployed. We wondered about their plans for the future and recognised their valuable skills. We realised the need to strengthen our parenting programme, especially since during their time with us, they shared their challenges of being raised by parents without disabilities and their daily experiences as children living with disabilities. They highlighted the challenges in communication and the lack of understanding within the community about disabilities and adapting to different situations,” says Betty.
“We identified a significant issue related to inclusion and access. If they continued working with us, we believe we could gain further insights and improve how we support parents who are raising children with disabilities. Additionally, we also aim to better understand the challenges faced by parents living with disabilities, including the stress associated with parenting. We need to delve deeper into these experiences in a qualitative manner, which would enable us to redirect the programme and make it more disability inclusive”- added Betty.
To make the workplace environment accessible and inclusive, PfR has implemented several measures to ensure that the interns can work comfortably and at full capacity. The adaptations include improved access, accessible bathrooms, accessible kitchen, and office seating arrangements that allow the interns to be close to their peers, who are readily available to assist whenever needed, and above all, fostering one family-like atmosphere in which the youth interns are fully integrated into routine unit-wide activities such as monthly staff meetings and workshops.
"My experience since joining the Parenting for Respectability programme has been positive. Coming from an engineering background, I acquired valuable skills through training and mentorship provided by the staff at the Medical Research Council and Child Health and Development Center (CHDC) at Makerere University. I actively participated in various workshops related to the Parenting for Respectability program, including one focused on scaling up the program. These workshops and meetings held at CHDC have deepened my understanding of the programme”.
“From the dedicated team of mentors, I've gained a wide range of skills, including effective communication, strong work ethics, and research abilities such as proposal writing, grant application, data collection, and analysis. I've applied these skills in practical settings, notably during our participation in Deaf Awareness Week, where we learned how to collect data from individuals with disabilities. Overall, my experience has enriched my knowledge in research, and I look forward to further growth. It has truly been a rewarding experience," says one of the female interns.
Betty encourages Global Parenting Initiative colleagues and partners to join the conversation to learn more about those living with disabilities and the unique challenges of raising a child with a disability.
“By openly talking about the challenges children with disabilities face and also including them in those conversations we can help build a more inclusive society,” says Betty.
“The adoption of the internship programme is a testament to the Global Parenting Initiative’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. By creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities and championing their participation in important research, the GPI is driving change and making a significant impact in the world of parenting and medical research. It is an inspiring model for organisations worldwide to follow as we build a more inclusive future in the field of playful parenting research and beyond - for those benefiting from the research and for those conducting the research as well,” remarks GPI Principal Investigator, Dr Jamie Lachman.
