Papaya Kay Foundation

Papaya Kay Foundation Building capacity in parents of children with complex disabilities

25/10/2025

Still beaming light on spina bifida and hydrocephalus




This year our youths take world spina bifida and hydrocephalus day commemorations to a higher advocacy and awareness lev...
25/10/2025

This year our youths take world spina bifida and hydrocephalus day commemorations to a higher advocacy and awareness level with visits to UTH Adult hospital and Livingstone Teaching hospital meeting management and encouraged parents of newly diagnosed children to never relent. We also donated diapers to the ward.

It has always been the parents encouraging other parents but not this time around. The youths with Spina bifida and hydrocephalus themselves delivered the words!

Accelerating action for SBH!

"As a youth with SBH i am stepping on the peddle!"








WORLD SPINA BIFIDA AND HYDROCEPHALUS DAY 25 OCTOBER2025 THEME: ACCELERATE ACTION FOR SBHToday our Executive Director fea...
25/10/2025

WORLD SPINA BIFIDA AND HYDROCEPHALUS DAY

25 OCTOBER

2025 THEME: ACCELERATE ACTION FOR SBH

Today our Executive Director features on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation Radio 2 from 09am to discuss the commemoration and this year's theme.

Tune in if you can so that we learn together about Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus in order for us to Accelerate Action.







24/10/2025

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ZAMBIA

24 OCTOBER 2025!

"Building a Resilient and Prosperous Zambia,"

22/10/2025

Chanda is our youth from the Lusaka youth spina bifida and hydrocephalus support group.

When he joined the youth group he didn't want to participate in any group discussions.

Today we took our youths and their parents to our top most Healthcare facility for a familiarization tour of it's specialized departments, This time they didn't visit as patients but as advocates, as encouragers to parents they interacted with in the ward.

In this video, Chanda encourages a parent using his own story. How he was just a little baby too and had his hydrocephalus corrected in the same hospital.

"Don't worry, your child will be alright too just like me. Keep hope. Stay positive, you are in the right place" said Chanda.

We are very proud of Chanda and his fellow youths who are Accelerating Action through their awareness raising on Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.

Keep the foot on the peddle and Accelerate!!!


WORLD SPINA BIFIDA AND HYDROCEPHALUS DAY25 OCTOBER 2025THEME: ACCELERATE ACTION FOR SPINA BIFIDA AND HYDROCEPHALUS Today...
22/10/2025

WORLD SPINA BIFIDA AND HYDROCEPHALUS DAY

25 OCTOBER 2025

THEME: ACCELERATE ACTION FOR SPINA BIFIDA AND HYDROCEPHALUS

Today we flagged off the build up to the day with a breakfast radio show interview on our Zambia national broadcasting corporation radio 2.

We discussed the day, 25 October and what significance it holds at Papaya Kay Foundation.

On which domain are we accelerating action?

1. Dignity and Rights
2. Policy implementation and audit
3. Access to Healthcare services
4. Independent living
5. Education
6. Employment
7. National solidarity

The above are all supported by the UNCRPD, SDGs and all national policies that uphold and speak to human rights and the rights of persons with disabilities.

Call to Action? TEAM!

Together
Everyone
Achieves
More






We are deeply saddened by the death of our dear ambuya Charles who has been a member of our Ngombe support group since 2...
10/10/2025

We are deeply saddened by the death of our dear ambuya Charles who has been a member of our Ngombe support group since 2019.

Hard working amidst her own challenges, never missed a meeting and when she did would send someone to attend on her behalf. Always full of words of encouragement and gratitude.

Our hearts go out to dear Charles, her grandson with severe epilepsy and an intellectual disability. May God comfort the family and grant them grace as we grieve with them 🙏

Rest in eternal peace our mother

08/10/2025

SPINA BIFIDA EXPLAINED

One of the parents now a TOT in our Spina bifida Support group in Lusaka, Zambia explains to parents from our Cerebral palsy support group what Spina bifida is and a parent asks what causes it.

For us awareness raising on disabilities starts from amongst ourselves, then to our families and neighbors and our communities then to ALL! It is a lifestyle that's why everyone needs to be aware for the world to practice INCLUSION!

THAT IS THE GOAL

Be part of our village!

08/10/2025

A BUILD UP TO WORLD SPINA BIFIDA AND HYDROCEPHALUS DAY: 25 OCTOBER

"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING"

Today we share the silent stories we hardly listen in to. A hearty conversation between our volunteer Healthcare worker and a Grand Father to a newly identified and diagnosed infant from deep in the villages referred to a bigger hospital for treatment and management.

SPINA BIFIDA

Grandfather:" I am requesting that we be sent back home to our village so that we can engage a herbalist to administer herbs on the "wound" and my grandchild will be well"

Our volunteer HCW:"I understand. Have you seen or heard of any other babies born with a "wound" in your village?

Grandfather: "Yes, 2 babies but they died"

Our volunteer HCW:" I am so sorry to hear. May i ask what happened?"

Grandfather:"The herbs didn't work"

Our volunteer HCW:"That is very sad. I am so sorry. Can you allow the hospital to try and work with your grandchild? Do you see those 5 children? They are here for their review. We corrected the "wound" through surgery by closing it up and the "water" stopped coming out. Now they are better even though with challenges but the "wound" is safely closed."

Grandfather:"Okay, lets try then."

Our volunteer HCW:"Thank you, the whole team will do our very best".

Surgery was scheduled for the very next day and it was a good outcome. They are now back in the village sharing the alternative which is medical intervention for children born with spina bifida.

It takes a village to raise a child, especially one with a disability.

Be part of the village. You will learn how to participate and offer help. Every one learns!







6 OCTOBER Cerebral palsy is the most common of lifelong physical disabilities. "Our children are unique and each journey...
06/10/2025

6 OCTOBER

Cerebral palsy is the most common of lifelong physical disabilities.

"Our children are unique and each journey different but we are united as their parents"

The 2025 theme for world cerebral palsy day is:


Celebrating individuality, raising awareness and advocating for real change: policy implementation, Inclusion in service provision, research investment, and lifelong care.

Our biggest and oldest support group is the cerebral palsy group with 90% of our CP children diagnosed with spastic CP. This comes with many challenges for our parents, fatigue and burn outs. They have to be consistent with physical therapy so that the children do not develop tight muscles and stiff joints, feeding and nutrition so that they don't get malnourished, positioning and support so their bodies do not bend and cause more discomfort. Its a whole list!

CP Children present with many needs requiring support throughout their lives. Our parents are at the helm of it learning and applying knowledge as part of their daily lifestyle. They share their lived experience amongst themselves in the support group and mentor newly diagnosed parents.

The 2025 theme speaks to what we witness in the CP support group, each child unique yet they together raise awareness and advocate for the inclusion of the children. Standing UNITED!





03/10/2025

SAD NEWS

We are saddened by the death of our calm yet vibrant youth from the Livingstone Spina bifida and hydrocephalus youth support group.

We shared 6 years of capacity building and support as she interacted with her fellow youths and the leaders in the group.

Our heart goes out to her family and friends. This is not easy at all.

May her beautiful soul rest in eternal peace 🙏

25/09/2025

SEPTEMBER IS HYDROCEPHALUS AWARENESS MONTH

We continue to beam light on people with Hydrocephalus.

Today our hearts go out to celebrate the caregiver, the guardian, the parent raising a child with Hydrocephalus.

Amake Charles is a member of our Hydrocephalus parents support group in Lusaka. She has been part of this group for 6 years now. Over the years we have watched with admiration how she has grown both in knowledge and ability to navigate parenting a child with such a complex disability. She doesn't speak much but when she does, we always know a song of gratitude is on its way "Nali konkomana Tata mungolole" translated as "I have my imperfections please Father make me perfect". It is her anthem and we all know that.

It has become our anthem too and all the other parents as we watch them dance to it bending down crookedly and straightening themselves as they stand in a stretch to show how they desire to learn so they can do better.

Thank you for all the sacrifices you make for your children, your family and the communities you live in Amake imwe!

Indeed it takes a village!







Address

P O BOX 31229
Lusaka
10101

Opening Hours

Tuesday 09:00 - 15:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 15:00
Thursday 09:00 - 15:00
Friday 09:00 - 15:00
Saturday 09:00 - 12:00

Telephone

+260965320692

Website

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