Kathy Bowler's Update: January to March 2015

Welcome Emma!We have been searching for an Occupational Therapist to help us at COBT without success. So in January we were excited to hire a physiotherapist instead. Emma just graduated from University in South Africa. It was really fun for Kathy to hire her as she worked with Kathy as a Rehabilitation Technician at SOS and before that was Kathy’s student. Emma is kept busy treating the children with physical disabilities at the preschool. She is also working at the Mbabvi, ABC and Mchezi Outreach Clinics.Progress at our Outreach ClinicsNambuma, Chitukula, Mbabvi and the 2 Outreach Clinics in Mchezi are all now running twice a week.   This is the road to Mbabvi Outreach. This means all 10 of our Outreach Clinics are now running twice a week. Our Nutrition Program also goes out to all of the Outreach clinics every two weeks to provide the malnourished children maize soya porridge. We are now able to offer Preschool programs at the Lumbadzi, Njewa, Kauma, Mbabvi, Nambuma, Mngwangwa, and Chitukula Outreach Clinics.US Ambassador’s Small Grant Fund The US Ambassador’s Small Grants Fund has just given us the funding we need to make all the specialized equipment for the new Outreach Clinics at Mbabvi and Chitukula. Last year they also provided the funding for the specialized equipment for the Nambuma and Mchezi Outreach Clinics.Small gifts of educational toys matterIsabella asked for her family and friends to give money to COBT instead of buying presents for her Christening. That money was used to buy educational toys for the 3 new Outreach Clinics.   All in all it has been a great start to 2015 for our families out in the rural communities!Not to be out done we also had another awesome donation of educational toys for the Preschool, Occupational Therapy and Special Education Programs from our new friends at Peace Tower Church in Ottawa, Canada.   The kids are so happy!Nurturing entrepreneurship! In 2014 and 2015 we have been able to start small businesses for so many families thanks to the generosity of our friend Heather in Scotland, Zoe Projects in Canada and the US Ambassador’s Small Grants fund. The list of different businesses started so far is quite long: some make donuts, others sell fabric, salt, soap, cosmetics, rice, shoes, biscuits, crocheted items… It is our hope that all these businesses will make a profit and will help the families become self-sufficient. We work hand in hand with the moms at the beginning to make sure they know what is needed to make the business successful. Then as we see that they are capable of running the business we slowly step back and watch them succeed!Visitors make a differenceHerleen was with us for 4 months from October to February. She worked with our Malawian Rehabilitation Technicians in the Preschool and Behaviour Challenge Program as well as at the Kauma, Mchezi and Lumbadzi Outreach Clinics. Herleen is originally from Haiti but all of our Moms insist that she is really from Malawi!   We all agree that 4 months is too short so are hoping that she will come back for longer real soon!