Amado provides free animal-assisted therapy to 40 vulnerable and disabled children. The children range between the ages of 0- 24 with the greatest number of beneficiaries being of school-going age) Amado prides itself on the visible and great impact that animal-assisted therapy has on all its beneficiaries.
Three and a half years ago when AMADO started they had 7 out of the 40 children in wheelchairs. Today, not a single one of them uses their wheelchairs full-time any more. These results are a direct result from the animal assisted therapy program at AMADO.
Furthermore, instead of tradition methods of therapy and physical exercise, AMADO allows the children to freely interact with the animals in a way that boosts the children’s confidence, and where they surprise themselves by using their limbs which they would otherwise be too shy or self-conscious to use.
Amado provides a safe and nurturing environment where its little people can play and be themselves. The children look forward to the freedom and space that the time on the Amado farm offers them. This is because Amado also encourages person development and creativity while also helping heal the children’s bodies. Founder Mrs M’Lani Basson says the overall goal of Amado is to capacitate the children, both physically and otherwise, to go out and become fully participant and productive members of society who lead full lives. Part of this objective involves Amado also finding employment for all of their program leavers.
Three and a half years ago when AMADO started they had 7 out of the 40 children in wheelchairs. Today, not a single one of them uses their wheelchairs full-time any more. These results are a direct result from the animal assisted therapy program at AMADO.
