BY TANDZILE DLAMINI
MBABANE— The vision for Eswatini’s first dedicated Autism Care Centre gained critical national backing when government officials, traditional leaders, and community members gathered at Luhlokohla Primary School to endorse the project and confirm the donation of land by the Luhlokohla chiefdom.
The endorsement ceremony, attended by key national stakeholders, formally launched the establishment of a facility that will cater for children and adults with Autism and other Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
The donated land will host a one-stop Care Centre designed to provide therapy, rehabilitation, healthcare, education, and social support under one roof. The planned infrastructure includes classroom blocks, a clinic, therapy and rehabilitation rooms, administration offices, a school hall, dining facilities, and a sports field, a major step toward easing the challenges that families face when seeking specialised services.
The event brought together representatives from the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, the Land Management Board, Micro-Projects Coordination Unit, Autism Eswatini Board, traditional authorities, NGOs, parents, and local residents. In a symbolic moment reinforcing community solidarity, Inkhosikati Make LaMatsebula received gifts including a cow, a calf, and two chickens, presented as a gesture of gratitude and unity behind the initiative.
Micro-Projects officially confirmed that the project has been approved and construction will begin in 2026. Once completed, the Centre is expected to create jobs during both construction and daily operations, strengthening socio-economic development in the area while providing essential services for vulnerable families.
For many parents raising children with Autism, the project answers a pressing lifelong concern about care and support. Stakeholders emphasised that the Centre represents more than infrastructure, it is a commitment to dignity, inclusion, and long-term security for people with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
As preparations for construction continue, Autism Eswatini has called on companies, institutions, and individual citizens to contribute toward building materials, fencing, and other resources needed to bring the Centre to life. Leaders stressed that the project may be anchored in Luhlokohla, but its impact will reach families across the nation.
(Courtesy Pic)
