The program came to an end around 3:00pm with discussions and light refreshments; the participants expressed their gratitude and hoped that such projects will continue. [Download]
secondary school, Zamarr Institute organised a free workshop for teachers in schools in and around the Abuja metropolis. The aim was to promote awareness and understanding of autism and related learning disabilities in schools which we hope would in turn improve access to inclusive education for pupils with special needs in schools.
Over 40 schools were contacted including crèches and day-care centres for the workshop and each school was required to send in one participant. The programme had 25 teachers in attendance and started at 9.30am with registration and introduction of participants. The first presentation on effective communication was done by Mrs Ola – a regional trainer with the U.K National Health Service. She started with the importance of communicating effectively with children with autism and related disabilities. Participants were then asked to get into groups and list common signs that can be seen in children with autism, ADHD or other similar disorders. From their responses, it was clear that most of the participants face some of these challenges in their classrooms. The facilitator then moved on to social skills and relationships. At this point, participants were again asked what they considered proper social skills. Finally, she introduced the Makaton language programme which uses signs and symbols with speech for communication with very young children or children without speech. After tea break, participants were taught the letters A to Z in Makaton as well as some basic words like ‘hello’, ‘please’, ‘drink’, ‘eat’ e.t.c. She recommended some TV programmes and CDs that use Makaton and as example, showed some short clips. She concluded by explaining that intensive training in each of the three areas she touched on take at least three days.
The second presentation on Autism Spectrum Disorders was done by Mrs Ronke Katagum – Executive Director of Zamarr Institute. She started with a classic definition of autism and went on to the history of autism diagnosis as well as the other disorders that fall under the spectrum. She addressed common autism myths, the triad of impairments associated with autism and pointed out the ‘red flags’ in each area. The idea being to help teachers identify students with learning challenges as distinct from children with autism. She then went to talk about the different interventions including diet, medication and various therapies as well as their downsides and benefits. She concluded by pointing out strategies that can be employed in classrooms to assist their students with varying challenges.
The programme ended at 3pm with a Question & Answer session, workshop evaluation and lunch.
December 13th 2009 - Fundraiser
Zamarr Institute hosted a barbeque fundraiser in its continuous efforts to create awareness and to further support children/families living with autism and other related disabilities. The barbeque was held at the center on No 27 libreville crescent, Wuse 2 Abuja.
Guests were treated to a tasty spicy barbeque done the traditional way. The barbeque encouraged donations in cash or kind through the purchase of food, drink, ice cream, pasteries and meat. Symbys cakes and Gogzee cakes donated cakes for auction at the event.
Other activities organized that day were
- The raffle draw which was the hype of the event with give away prizes such as:
- Free internet installation with 3 months subscription from Surburban Telecom Ltd
- DSTV Family Bouquet with 3 months subscription
- Hi TV installation with 3 months subscription
- 3 Complimentary Dinner Tickets for 2 at Wakkis Restaurant
- Dinner for Two at the Transcorp Hilton-Abuja
- Silverbird Cinema Tickets
- Music and Games
- Food Auction
- Viewing of the Documentary on Autism Spectrum Disorders
Stalls were rented out to business men and women to display their products. The event also provided the required clientele to promote their sales and build a good database of customers.
The barbeque was a success which raised a level of awareness for the children with special needs.
November 4th- 6th 2009 - Training workshop
Zamarr organised a 3 day training workshop in order to reach one of our objectives which is to show that chidren with special needs if given the proper tools can contribute to society in different ways.
The topics for the training were:
- Developmentally Appropriate Practices
- Individualized program planning
The workshop was targeted towards teachers, therapists, care givers and social workers and was conducted by Mrs. Ademidun Aramide, who is a Registered Early Childhood Educator.
Participants came from different mainstream schools between 9am to 9.30am for registration. The first day started with the definition of DAP(Developmentally Appropriate Practices). This topic dealt with factors to put into consideration in order to aid proper development in children.
The second day dealt with the various theories or schools of thought, concerning a childs development.
On the third day,different methods of assessment and observation was explained, and also how to write a report.
The workshop was of immense benefit to all who attended.
September 30th 2009 - The Regents School visit
The Regents School, Abuja paid a visit to Zamarr Institute to see the children. Students from the school came along with members of the school Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
They were taken round the school to various classes and introduced to the children by the founder of the organization Mrs. Ronke Katagum. The children learnt about Autism Spectrum disorder, how it can be diagnosed and how it can be managed. Zamarr therapists took the students to the classes and engaged them in hands on training with the children. The interaction between our children and the students from Regents school was sobering. It was an eye opener for them and the members of their PTA.
Later, there was a question and answer session were the Regent school students asked very intelligent and thoughtful questions. Apparently, they never knew such a conditioned existed.
In conclusion, the visit was very productive and educating for all. The Regent school donated funds to Zamarr for school furniture.
September 9th 2009 - Appointment with Autism
We held a training workshop for Media personnel in order to create awareness on the issue of Autism Spectrum disorders. It was a part of our campaign to educate Nigerians by bringing this humanity to the limelight, thus becoming the voice of the voiceless.
Media representatives from Aso Radio, Rhythm Silverbird and Hot FM were present at the workshop. Our speaker for the day was the executive director of Zamarr, Mrs Ronke Katagum. She started the workshop by giving an introduction of what we do here at Zamarr, explaining to them what Autism Spectrum disorder was all about.
The outcome was very good, because we were able to open their eyes to our plight. They observed our therapists as they worked with the children and after that they had hands on training with the children. Finally, they asked questions and we had discussions with them on how they can aid us in creating awareness to the people through media outlets.
April 2009
SHOESHINE FUNDRAISER
On the 10th of April at 10:00am, the patrons and staff of THE ZAMARR INSTITUTE conveyed at the lobby of the Transcorp Hilton to polish shoes and engage interested persons on a one-on-one talk on Autism. In the process, donations were accepted from free will givers to support children living with Autism in Nigeria.
Promotional materials such as flyers stating the red flags of autism were handed out as hotel clients went by the lobby, while some were displayed on the stands. Books on autism and other related disorders as well as DVDs, and VCDs were on sale.
A documentary titled, “Living with Autism in Nigeria” produced by the National Society for Autism-Nigeria, was played at the background to enhance awareness and knowledge on autism.
Few people consented to having their shoes polished for a token while most people just donated to support children living with Autism in Nigeria
The outcome of the event was fair considering it was a holiday-Good Friday and most of the clients were checking out. Though there was the added advantage to talk with the clients on their way out and even those coming into the hotel.
The event came to a close at 7pm
CARWASH FUNDRAISER/FAMILY FUNFAIR
The venue of the carwash was set at the eagle square car park; a site with large parking space and good scenery for children to run around. On April 12, which was Easter Sunday at 12:00pm the venue was all decorated and set for the carwash/funfair.
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The event was stated to begin early but commenced around 3:30pm with the entrance of Her Excellency the First Lady of Bauchi State who was interviewed by the National Television Authority (NTA) along side with the Executive Director of Zamarr Institute in the person of Mrs Ronke Katagum.
Her entrance was welcomed by the destiny kids who were all beautiful looking and made wonderful renditions; to add the flavour the DJ hyped the crowd with contemporary tunes sizzled with Nigerian jams.
Cars drove in for a wash and of course our ladies in red who were volunteers began sprinkling and splashing for donations to support children living with Autism in Nigeria
There were lots of side attractions such as the bouncy castle, horses, party characters (Pink bunny, Blue bunny & Batman), Battery operated car and games for the children’s delight. There were stands for refreshments such as Drumstix and Hatlab who offered various flavours of ice-cream; grilled chicken, sharwamas, sodas and bottled water were all sold at the site. Our sponsors were also on site to display their products and grace the occasion.
The event enjoyed special performances by Destiny Kids and Style-Plus. We had the pleasure of a clown MC who dazzled the crowd with his antics and tricks making the event fun filled.
In the later part of the day, forces of nature took over; with a heavy sand storm and rainfall afterwards, bringing the event to an end as the audience were forced to disperse and find shelter in their cars.
May 2009
THE ZAMARR INSTITUTE ONE DAY TRAINING WORKSHOP
LAGOS- MAY 19th and 20th 2009, ABUJA MAY 21st and 23rd 2009
The Zamarr Institute organised a one day training workshop in Lagos and Abuja in order to educate people on how to diagnose and understand children on the autistic spectrum.
LAGOS
The first training workshop in Lagos was held on Tuesday May 19th 2009 at the Savoy Suites 43 Isaac John Street, G.R.A, Ikeja Lagos. The Guest speaker was Professor Anthony Bailey, from Oxford University, England, the only chair for Autism in the United Kingdom. The target audience was on General Practitioners, Pediatricians, Primary and Secondary health care workers. Mrs Ronke Katagum – founder of Zamarr institute welcomed everyone and introduced the subject “Autism Spectrum Disorder”.
The turn out was average.
The second training workshop in Lagos was held on Wednesday 20th May 2009 at Ostra Hall behind MKO Abiola Gardens, Alausa, Lagos. The Guest Speakers were Eileen Hopkins, the International Dev. Director for Autism Speaks, UK and Heidi Al- Askary Phd/CCC-SLP, CCRP, Prince Salman Centre for Disability Research. The target audience was on Early Childcare Workers, Nursery and primary school teachers, Social Workers and parents.
The turn out was better than the previous day. Mrs. Khadeejah Oluronke Katagum – founder of The Zamarr Institute welcomed everyone and introduced”Autism Spectrum Disorder.” The workshop started at about 11am and ended about 5:30pm. There was a coffee break after 2 hours and the lunch break was at 2:30pm.
Eileen Hopkins took the morning session, while Heidi Al- Askary took the afternoon Session. They started the class by talking on the background of autism, likely causes and history. When the class was asked how many had taught children with autism, there was no show of hands, but as the class progressed, they began to realize that a lot of them had taught a child with autism at one point in time.
They talked about the challenges of children living with autism and how they can live a normal life. They also focused on the different ways of teaching, depending on which one the child responds to. They showed a video on children on the spectrum and how they live with their parents , and the parents spoke on their feelings and expectations.
Heidi Al- Askary was a very motivational speaker carrying the class along with her own life experiences. In conclusion, it was a very productive day, people left the hall with so much more than they came with.
Various books on autism where displayed at the venue for sale.
All the people that participated were given a certificate of attendance before they left the venue.
ABUJA
The first training worshop in Abuja was held on Thursday May 21st 2009 at the International Conference centre, Aso Hall, Central Business Area, Abuja.
The speakers were the same as the previous sessions held in Lagos with target audience on Early Childcare Workers, Nursery and primary school teachers, Social Workers and parents.
The founder of the Zamarr Institute Mrs Ronke Katagum, welcomed everyone and introduced Mrs Umana from the department for policy inplementation, FCT, Abuja. She gave a short speech where she expressed her gratutude to the Zamarr institute for giving her the opportunity to speak. She said Zamarr was “blazing the trail” in championing the cause of “Autistic Spectrum Disorder” in children in Nigeria. She said that the Education Secretariat of the FCTA are committed to ensuring that we keep ablaze the cause of the Autistic children in our school system by ensuring that each student’s individual learning skills and abilities are taken into cognizance in the school setting.
She concluded by thanking everyone for attending and thanked the Founder Of Zamarr Institute for embarking on the arduous task of fighting Autism.
The turn out was very good. The workshop started at around 11am and ended at 5:30pm. There was a coffee break after 2 hours and a lunch break at 2:30pm
The programme was the same as the one in Lagos, the only difference was that the two speakers merged their sessions together. Instead of one speaking in the morning and the other in the evening, they where able to work together. There were various books on Autism for sale.
It was also a very productive day. Many contacts where made and a lot of peoples’ interest was captured. Everyone who came was also given a certifiate of attendance.
The second training workshop in Abuja was held on Saturday, 23rd May 2009 at the National Hospital Auditorium, National Hospital, Central Business Area, Abuja. The Guest speaker was Professor Anthony Bailey, from Oxford University, England, the only chair for Autism in the United Kingdom. The target audience was on General Practitioners, Pediatricians, Primary and Secondary health care workers. The turn out was very good, there were a lot of social workers and doctors present.
The workshop started at around 10am, and ended at around 5:30pm. There was a break for coffee and lunch for about 20minutes.
Professor Bailey was a very inspirational speaker. He divided the class into groups, this way, they were able to interact with each other, work together and generate ideas, making the class very interesting. He gave them little exercises to do, asking them questions on autism, like the causes, how much percentage of the children in Nigeria have autism, which gender is more likely to have autism and how to tell if a child has Autism. The responses from each group sometimes varied, thus leading to more discussions. It was a very interactive class, and the audience enjoyed themselves.
In conclusion, the One Day Training workshop was very well organised and the goal behind the workshop which was to create awareness, and to teach and educate people was accomplished.
Hauwa Bello Sani
Administrative Officer
World Autism Awareness Day 2009
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early intervention and to know the signs of Autism was held at Idu Karmo (a community within Abuja environs) on Thursday, 21st October, 2010. The program commenced at 1:00pm with the arrival of participants in the community to the venue at LEA Primary School, Karmo Sabo; which comprised of teachers, youths and most importantly carers.
support children/families living with autism and other related developmental disabilities, the Zamarr Institute organized fundraising dinners in Lagos and Abuja on 8th & 9th July 2010 respectively. The theme of both dinners was ‘the importance of early intervention for the success of children with autism and other related developmental disabilities’. 