Esthelle Chabrelle Siewe Kameni, 19, lives with multiple disabilities (Polyhandicap). She has a slight motor developmental delay and is visually impaired. She had severe malaria at the age of two months and it was at 3 months that the parents noticed that the deterioration of her eyes and her developmental delay was visible. She has about 20% of sight and can see a little one meter away.

When it turned out that the child had multiple disabilities, his parents were at their wits’ end. They didn’t know what to do – they were always asking themselves the following questions: What is going to happen to this child? How are we going to cope? Will she be able to go to school? What will become of her tomorrow? Will she be able to work?

Family situation

Esthelle is the youngest of 03 children, including two girls and a boy. Her father is retired and absent, while her mother died in 2018. The child left her parents’ home in 2018 after her mother’s death because her father firmly refused to keep the children. Her father’s family also rejected her because they didn’t want her. She went to live with her grandmother and her brothers in 2019 and struggled to survive. To this day, the grandmother doesn’t give up and wholeheartedly believes in the success of little Esthelle despite the misfortune and the prejudices she has faced.

Her grandmother survives through a small scall business of cracking pumpkin seeds to sell and also retailing charcoal which people use for cooking in the neighbourhood. Sometimes, extended family members lend a helping hand.

After the death of Esthelle’s mother, the grandmother began to struggle to find answers to the questions that were bothering them. She finally met the Liliane Foundation’s EDID programme through PROMHANDICAM and LA COMPAGNIE DES FILLES DE LA CHARITÉ, who, through their awareness-raising and support for the child, responded to the grandmother’s concerns.    

Enters Liliane Foundation’s Intervention

Little Esthelle joined the program for the empowerment of people with disabilities in 2019 through the recommendation of Dr. MATIP, the medic that consulted her. Her grandmother, Tchakouteu Eleine, who did not have the financial means or the right information to take care of the child’s health and education, approached PROMHANDICAM (the national center that is taking care of children with disabilities) to ask for help. PROHANDICAM enrolled the child in the Empowerment and Disability Inclusive Development (EDID) program run by the CBC Health Services with the support of the Liliane Foundation.

Esthelle was provided with learning materials suitable for school, school fees and medication for her health.  The child was monitored by PROMHANDICAM until 2023 when she was transferred to the COMPAGNIE DES FILLES DE LA CHARITÉ in the same year. Here, she continued to be supported with school fees, medication and necessary assistance. Esthelle obtained her CAP, an equivalence of the Ordinary Level General Certificate of Education (GCE) with an average of 13.12 and was among the best in her school. Today, Esthelle is in the 5th year of an inclusive secondary school where she is still among the best.  Since 2019, the Liliane Foundation has supported the child to the tune of 2,351,000 francs (two million three hundred and fifty-one thousand). The support is within the Child Empowerment Project of the EDID program implemented by her partner organization, Fille De la Charite.  

Enabling environment

Thanks to the supportive and inclusive nature of the school she attends, she is able to do oral examination. She attends school at Adventist College Integrated School where there are other children with other forms of impairments. While in school, she loves to visit the Library.

EDID program’s PO met Esthelle in 2019 through Dr MATIP, who was treating the child. One day, he asked the grandmother to send the child to school and referred her to PROMHANDICAM, which was a referral centre for children with special needs.  As Esthelle’s mother had died and the grandmother had used up all her money on the child’s health care, she was unable to continue her studies as well as take proper care of her health. She obtained her CEP in 2024 despite the difficulties she had to face when she started school, in particular learning to write Braille, the inaccessibility of the amphi-theatre (study halls) and the way lessons were given.

Leisure and friendships

Esthelle likes reading a lot because for her, reading frees the mind. In her spare time she reads novels, she often plays and visits her best friend with whom they are in the same class at school. She also loves cooking and helps her younger sister, who loves her very much. They study, go shopping, cook and talk about everything. She also loves studying while at home watching TV. She loves cartoons.  She has two best friends in school in whom she can confide and they discuss everything.

Despite her disability, little Esthelle is still part of the family. She is a very hard-working girl. She does all the household chores, helps her grandmother crack pumpkin seeds which she gets ready to go out to sell in the neigbourhood. She effectively plays the role of an elder sister to her follower.

Integration in the community

The little girl is a very sociable person, who adapts easily to her environment in her neighbourhood. She is loved by all her neighbours and supported by everyone around her because she imposes herself, although some people accept her just out of pity she is in sports groups. Esthelle is not shy. She is very confident with high self-esteem. She does not like to play with other children. Esthelle is so focused and carries herself with dignity. Her paternal family referred to her as a disgrace to the family. She has grown thick skin, is confident and does not listen to the insults. Esthelle is very prayerful and they have Bible study in their home every day when people visit and they pray together.

Her dreams and wishes

Esthelle likes to continue with her education and become a Computer Scientist to develop software that will help other people in her situation, so she fights to always be among the best. Esthelle finds her voice and try to make the most of life

Feeling of Gratitude

“I am happy to be in school because I feel safe there. The teachers are very protective and I have friends who understand and can discuss with me”. “I am glad because I will be able to pursue my future”

“The glasses give me a certain level of protection on my eyes and I can walk slowly with the ability to see one meter away”.

“Before the intervention, my grandmother suffered. With the glasses, the view is better especially after I was operated [of cataract].” Esthelle used to have rolling eyes but her eyes are now stable.

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• “Children with Disabilities should not be discouraged. They should pray for God to answer their prayers as He answered mine. My Father abandoned me but thanks to prayer, I receive all types of assistance for my education. Another family assisted me with a braille machine”.
  

How people should treat persons with disabilities
“I want people to collaborate with me and help me when I need. They should treat me like everyone else and not as someone with visual impairment. The government should continue to support children with disabilities”.

• “I want to thank the Liliane Foundation, CBC Health Services Fille De la Charite who have accompanied me in my education in in my health. God should replenish your sources and help you to recover what you have spent on me.”