Our history

Sedoo and Aondofa

Kawan Aondofa-Anjira’s second child, Sedoo, was born on August 22, 2005. Within moments, Kawan knew something was wrong — Sedoo struggled to breathe, her skin was highly pigmented, and she cried through the night. Treatments and hospital visits followed for months with no improvement. A diagnosis from the National Hospital in Abuja’s Pediatric Neurology clinic finally gave the family an answer: Sedoo had cerebral palsy, and was unlikely to ever roll, sit up, stand, walk, or feed herself.

On January 18, 2007, Kawan’s third child, Aondofa, was born with strikingly similar symptoms. Facing two children with complex needs, discrimination from schools and relatives, and almost no dedicated care centers in Nigeria, Kawan searched for support that simply didn’t exist — all while continuing to work and raise her family.

Sedoo passed away at 22 months old, on June 22, 2007. Aondofa remained in Kawan’s care, receiving therapy and support until his own passing at eight years old, on June 16, 2014.

Founding SECHILD

Out of that loss — and determined that no other family should face it without support — Kawan founded The Sedoo Initiative for Children with Special Needs (SECHILD) on January 6, 2011, naming it in honor of her daughter. Aondofa became the organization’s first child admitted, receiving the care and therapy he needed for the rest of his life.

What we’ve grown into

Since then, SECHILD has grown into a community-driven, not-for-profit organization based in Lugbe, Abuja, offering residential care, therapy, counseling, advocacy, and training — not just for children with cerebral palsy, but for the parents and caregivers walking that road alongside them.

The need that started SECHILD hasn’t gone away, and neither have we.