Training Courses in Sandema with Afrikids, CBM, CBR Garu and CBR Sandema

In May 2014 my colleague Diane Lyle and I, both of us paediatric physiotherapists from the UK, were fortunate enough to be asked to volunteer on a training assignment in Sandema, in the far north west of Ghana for the Scottish charity Cerebral Palsy Africa - www.cerebralpalsyafrica.org -  in conjunction with CBM and Afrikits -www.afrikids.org/ghana 

Our 2 week course was also supported by two Ghanaian physiotherapists, Charity Adjety from Accra and Judith Arthur from Kumasi. Its purpose was to give 21 Community Based Rehabilitation officers (CBR), special education officers and health professionals insight and more understanding into the complexities of Cerebral Palsy (CP) and how to handle and help children with CP, how to support their families and how to include them within their communities.

 

The trainees learn about good handling and positioning  and how to motivate children with CP to become more active. Here they are advising a mother.

 Constructing a supportive chair from a cardboard box for a child with CP

 

Learning how to carry and feed children with CP

and get them onto the mother’s  back more appropriately

Cerebral Palsy is a condition, caused by damage to the developing brain (e.g. complications during birth, jaundice after birth or infections through meningitis or Cerebral Malaria). This damage can result in problems with movement and posture, communication, feeding/eating, seizures, learning, and behaviour. There is no cure for CP, but much can be done to help children to develop their full potential and include them into their communities, in spite of their disability.  Early detection is vital and can make a big difference to the long term outcomes for children with CP.

 Many of the mothers and their children with CP who attended for the daily practical sessions of the course came from the area around Sirigu and had been selected by Joe Asakibeem and William from the Afrikids team and the physiotherapy technician Joseph Luguzizing, based in Sandema and working for the Presbyterian CBR team under  Maxell Akanden.

The course was well attended and everybody joined in with whatever there was on offer. Much was learned, not just by the trainees and we all enjoyed working together.

A 2nd course was run, in parallel with ours, for mothers and volunteers. They were trained by Veronica Hansen Nortey, Jean Westmacott and Ama Darko Williams to make assistive devices for their children with CP (e.g. special supportive chairs) from cardboard – Appropriate Paper- Paper Technology (APT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our trainees learned how such devices can make children more functional and include them in schools 

 

www.paperfurnitureenterprise.com/cerebral-palsy-africa

 

 

Renate Hallett, Nottingham UK

 

An APT Educational 'Push-together' Puzzle

 From Painter to user

 Denise covered the pieces of layered cardboard carefully with brown paper. When they were dry she painted them on one side to make a giraffe picture and on the other side with 1- 5 different insects to help the child learn numbers

Marian took it to help with giving ideas on the APT training - of course it was interesting for the children

Close of training and Opening of Korle Bu APT Workshop

The physiotherapy department with the workshop on its right just a bit behind ...

Jane admiring the balloons and ribbons for Betty's daughter and ready with special clothes for the Opening

People arriving and old friends re-uniting

 Margriet from The Netherlands meeting up with old friend Veronica and daughter, Annet

                                                          Parents coming to support


                                                             





Displays all ready
A standing frame assembled not stuck yet with a stacking toy on the left and an example communication board on the right

Below, a posting box made by Mary from Australia

even the 'dolls-size models' made by Veronica to show potential buyers 

Mr Kombien, The Deputy Head of Admin and Mr Yaadar 

and more physiotherapists arrive, giving their support 

More parents arrive and then the Dignitary, 

Ajaneesh Kumar the India Deputy High Commissioner to Ghana

 After the Opening Prayer, Mr Yaadar, acting Head of the Physiotherapy department spoke, then Jean on behalf of Cerebral Palsy Africa with Veronica translating, then Dorethy, a CPA trained physiotherapist from Military 37 Hospital on why assistive equipment like chairs and standing frames can make make such a positive difference in the lives of children with cerebral palsy and their families

Just have a look -  beautiful, alert, happy little child

 Oh yes - it is good to be able to sit and see what is happening around!

 The ribbon is cut and the Workshop is declared OPEN

 Veronica explaining to people and everyone having a look around

Ronald tested Millicent's elephant stool - see above - it was very strong- and he made a video of the ceremony see:
https://vimeo.com/62497583

 Then after people left, a meeting for the parents and the physiotherapists about the future - it will be a lot of work but they can be such a blessing to other parents and their children with disabilities

 A photo of Jane, Jean and the group of mothers who did the training

Relaxing afterwards !