Second week of the APT training in Mtwapa

The chairs were put out to dry in the shade of the verandah

The new task for the second week was to measure a child and make something according to the child's measurements. This also involved taking into account where it was going to be used and measuring the chair or table where a standing board would be used.

Using a standing frame made in the first week to help measure the child
Then lots of calculations

Making a standing board also means that a band must be sewn

This lad was very happy to see be measured for a supportive seat plus footrest and tray.

He will use these in class Demonstrating the different bits to give K a secure seating position and good writing platform

Alfred and Baya checking the upright standing Frame they made for P. It has 3 pieces with two wooden A-frame supports so she can to use it outside. The wooden frames can sit in holes in the ground. It could also be used inside.

The supports were painted before going home

Happily the chairs were dry enough for painting - the standing frmes had to wait a week or more

Irene showed that beautiful, child-friendly mosaic designs can be made using little scraps of paper

On the last day we had an Exhibition

A small organizing committee was run by the School Chairman, Mr Mbwana Khamisi. Mr Muzungu the Head Teacher of the Special Unit at Mtwapa Sahajanand School had told all the parents of the schoolchildren, as had the participants. We had the APT items in the large classroom with people from each group ready to explain.

Musa explaing that he pmad sockets for a piece of hosepipe to have toys tied to it of for APT rods for reaching games for the child to be active and have fun while standing.

There were more items outside and different participants had book each which they showed and used for explanations for the visitors. Marian set up another classroom with items demonstrating practical and easy-to-accomplish ideas for helping a child with disabilities. There was soon a large gathering of parents and children listening and watching demonstrations such as positioning and feeding a young child with cerebral palsy.

One of the children demonstrating Standing Tall using his new standing frame!

The APT items, books and demonstrations were so popular that we almost ran out of time for an acrobatic display. The Angels Acrobats with Morris (one of the participants) put on an acrobatic show including some of the children in limbo dancing and then astounding and entertaining everybody with their agility.

The afternoon ended with a closing ceremony. Marion and I were made into Swahili ladies and given kangas and new names administered by the head teacher, Mrs Tabitha Runya. With Batul and Mr Khamisi we planted 4 trees in the courtyard of the school - the perfect end for a week of recycling paper that had orginally come from a tree!
Mr Soud Babo from the Early Assessment and Resource Centre (EARC) represented the District Education Officer, Kalifi, and closed the ceremony.

The Group photograph

The First Week of the APT Training Course

There were 17 participants from different organizations.

The first week concentrated on learning techniques using templates. Every group started with a chair. This was 'jumping in fast' but helped to make sure there was one piece of equipment that could be taken back to each organization that had sent a participant.

Musa, Baya and Alfred (just visible over Baya's shoulder) getting started

Irene , Phyllis and Tsuma getting started with working out a 'cutting list'

for the pieces of the chair

Baya, Timothy, Bernard and Willie checking

Ngedwe Catherine, Morris and Boniface starting to cut

and a few days later putting a final layer of cement bag paper on their chair

Dorothy and Amina working on their chair

Marian covering a physiotherpay bench and Baya covering his group's chair

Then...later on in the week

making chairs was followed by making standing frames

Bernard Ruwa and Larry tying their standing board pieces together


Phyllis and Irene making sure the knobs for their standing board are firmly secured




Timothy, Willie and Bernard busy with a small standing board

There were children around who had not gone home for the short holidays due to distance.

This group was making a happy dancing beat with the help of the watering can drum!

APT training starting in Mtwapa, near Mombasa

New course started Monday 3rd August
at Sahajanand School, Special Unit

17 participants


Now what?

A chair emerges!
(Victor, Bernard Mwanuya, Willie Chimwen, Timothy)

Measuring


The break-time band - the watering-can drumming was great, so was the dancing

More with Less - Marian Velthuijs

Marian has funded herself to come to help on the APT course. She was one of the authors of the very useful book called 'More with Less' that is also translated into Spanish and French.

Here she is demonstraing a simply made, but very effective splint for the children whose hands get so tight and clenched due to the effects of cerebral palsy.

A happy recipient

(it must be explained that Marian is singing to help the child relax)

Mtwapa - Community Initiatives

The Coastal Community Development Initiative for People with Special Needs

This organization was started after discovering that there are many children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities in the Twapa community (12 villages). There are 8 active members including 2 therapists and 2 teachers who do field work. They go to the houses where the Community Workers have identified children with disabilities. Some of the children are referred on to the Hospital (with a letter of referral). They are followed up after surgery. A Home programme is designed with the parents for those who do not need surgery.

Now all this work is done on a voluntary basis, in fact the active members contribute 200 shillings a month towards transport and other costs.

Elizabeth Okella outside the building they use. She coordinates the filedwork team.

They all do other work to keep going. Elizabeth works part time at the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. an has masterminded the preparations and organization of the Conference and the 2 courses being run with CPA trainers.

CONGRATULATONS to the Volunteers making a difference in Kenya.

Marian and Jean went with Mr Muzungu to visit one of the mothers who had been identified by the Community Workers. She has 6 children - the last 2 have cerebral palsy. When Elizabeth and team were visiting a lot of families with the Community workers they missed here house and she rang them saying she was the only one who was missed. So now she was the only one who was visited by the Muzungus

Marian showing the family photos of APT equipment.

We were choosing children with a need for a simple standing frame or chair as examples for teh students coming on the APT course. They will start with learning the techniques and in the 2nd week will make a special chair or standing frame according to the measurements they take from a child. We heard that P was not attending school due to distance and the fact that the local school that does have children with special needs only has boarding facilities for boys. It sounded as if she needed some equipment so her brother will come and help make a standing frame for her (she is in the green dress)

P and her mother

Mum and her baby who also has cerebral palsy

We were given a wonderful treat by P's father and family - coconut milk cut freshly and straight from the nut!

Coconut cheers! Mr Muzungu and Marian

MWTAPE SAHAJANAND SCHOOL

This school was built by a private benefactor and given to the government. It has wonderful classrooms and a dormitory for the children with disabilities and other children who cannot get home easily during the week. There are also some street children - now ex-street children receiving an education. They have a section for special need children. The APT course will be held in one of their classrooms.

Mr Muzungu is the Head of the Special Unit - he is with one of the children who will have something made for him during the APT training.

Conference at Cerebral Palsy Foundation

The Cerebral Palsy Foundation in Mombasa has been helping children with schooling since 1995. They have 33 children and 5 teachers, 3 therapists, care-givers and other staff. They are making a huge difference to the young people and children who attend. Many people are involved in fundraising to make the continuation of this facility possible.

A 2-day Conference is being held at The Cerebral Palsy Foundation Centre on 30th and 31st July 2009. Belinda, a Physiotherapist could only come later and arrived straight from the Airport yesterday. The sessions have included; What is cerebral palsy, the causes, what cerebral palsy looks like (signs) and different types, tips for helping the child uses the hands, stretches and handling, Positioning and using equipment (showing the APT items) and more, with lots of questions and contributions from the participants.

Belinda and Suzy demonstrating good sleeping positions for a child with cerebral palsy

Some participants were very interested in learning more about autism, so here they are with Suzy, who works in a school for children on the autistic spectrum.

Getting started in Kenya

Suzy Occupational Therapist looking forward to getting to Mombasa to start the training.

Jean barely makes the additional baggage allowance!!

Elizabeth Okella, Occupational Therapist has been masterminding the organization of both courses