Kathy Bowler's July to September 2016 Update

Thanks for your prayers! Millie, featured in our last BMW, got into the Mua School for the Deaf!!! Initially she was the only one. Then once school started they told us there were 4 more spaces available. So we sent more children out for assessment and they took all of them except for one!Sylvia, our new Occupational Therapist, is settling in nicely. She is working in the Children’s Rehabilitation Program one morning a week and with the Preschool and Special Education Program the rest of the week. Her focus is on the children in school already or those who have the most potential to go to school in the future. She helps them to gain independence in activities of daily living, such as eating, drinking, washing and dressing and going to the toilet. This is something most able bodied people take for granted but an area which stops many children with disabilities from participating in school. She also works with children helping them gain fine motor control so that they can learn how to write and use scissors. Many of the children also need help learning cognitive and perceptual motor skills that are essential for learning how to read among other things. Lastly she works with the children with behavior challenges, helping them to be able to pay attention and concentrate.The first 2 weeks of November we are having our Parent Workshops. We have 10 Workshops in total. This year we introduced a new workshop on Rape and Sexual Abuse in partnership with Fountain of Life. 10 women signed up for counseling after the training. We will be coordinating this with counselors from FOL. We also discuss Rape and Sexual Abuse as part of our puberty workshop so may have more people may wish counseling after that session. Though it is sad that so many women responded in this way it is important for them to get the help they need to move forward after this kind of trauma.One of the most fun workshops is the one that focuses on the Importance of Play! Here we get to teach the moms fun songs and games they can do with their children at home! Then all afternoon the moms get to make a toy to use at home with their child. Some of the moms make dolls, others cars, pom poms, balls or sensory mats. It is a big hit!This month we are hopefully getting our Three Wheeled Scooter to use in our Community Outreach Clinics. The scooters hold three passengers and the driver. This means that the Outreach Team will be able travel together in one vehicle to the Nambuma, Chitukula and Mngwangwa Outreach Clinics. The rehabilitation technician, preschool and special education teachers, currently travels to these clinics on the back of a bicycle taxi. Nambuma is 37 kilometres away from Area 25 and those roads are not smooth!