Therapists Without Borders: Spring 2011 Research & Development

Dear Friends,

Therapists Without Borders (ThWB) will take its inaugural research and development trip this spring to several rural villages that we have identified as focus points as we begin our work to bring highly skilled, trained therapists to villages with diagnostic and treatment needs. For at least three months, I will travel to Peru, India, Kenya, and Ghana. Each development site has been carefully reviewed by our team of advisors and partners, and our initial work is dependent on my visiting each site personally, to connect with the in-country staff, analyze the specific needs of the community, and determine together how ThWB can best support them. Furthermore, thanks to a new partnership established with Whirlwind Wheelchair International, I will also assess and measure candidates for RoughRider wheelchairs.


1. Cuzco, Peru
Trip length: 2 weeks
Organization: Manos Unidas Peru

I’d like to learn from this organization because it is successfully doing, on a local level, what ThWB aims to do at a global level. People with disabilities in Peru are seen as burdens, cursed, worthless, just like they are in Kenya and Ghana. Very few children with special needs get an education, as they are thought to be hopeless cases. Manos Unidas is working to desensitize the communities to people with disabilities, to instill a sense of value in them, and to train local people to become self-sustaining. The desire for a bilateral partnership is also there: they want to receive therapist volunteers as much as I want to send them.



2. Kolkata, India
Trip length: 2 weeks
Organization: New Light India

New Light is a safe house "to protect and educate young girls, children and women at high risk” of sex trafficking. I will explain to the program staff how ThWB volunteer counselors and social workers can help their girls and young women with their social/emotional development, coping skills, conflict resolutions, and identification of any psychological issues resulting from trauma. In the future, I would like to see to set up training programs for locals to do the counseling on their own.



3. Western Kenya
Trip length: 3 weeks
Organizations: Dago Dala Hera, Namunyak Maasai Welfare, Sister Freda’s Foundation

Directly from India, I will fly to Kenya, where I will visit at least three villages to develop ThWB infrastructure and prepare them to receive therapist volunteers who can help liberate people with disabilities and their caregivers. In these areas, they do not have electricity or clean water and rely on private farming for their livelihood. It becomes extremely difficult when they also have to take care of a child or adult with a disability in a community that does not understand or support them. In addition, for the young women suffering from societal disempowerment and forced genital mutilation/circumcision, for the widows and orphans suffering from the HIV/AIDs epidemic, for the young men struggling to make the right decisions… I would also like to set them up to receive and benefit from ThWB counselors.



4. Volta Region, Ghana
Trip length: 2 weeks
Organization: Kpando Community Inclusive Special School

Finally, I will go to a special school for people with disabilities in Ghana. Kpando has 40-50 students (up to age 35) and a few dedicated teachers who are desperate for volunteers who can train teachers, diagnosis students, and plan treatments. My time at Kpando will be spent doing therapy and teacher training, as well as setting them up to receive ThWB volunteers.


How You Can Help:
Therapists Without Borders is quickly setting itself up to be a viable, vital organization. The future development and success of ThWB depends on my personally visiting these areas with great need. However, all costs of travel are to be paid out-of-pocket.

ThWB’s 501(c)(3) partner, Village Volunteers, is organizing my in-country transportation, accommodations, meals and escorts through payment of volunteer fees amounting to approximately $3,000. If you feel moved, please consider giving tax-deductible donations toward these fees by specifying “Therapists Without Borders” either in the memo line of a check payable to Village Volunteers (5100 S. Dawson St., Suite 202, Seattle, WA 98118), or in the “other” field if processing online.

Donations can also be made to me personally to cover airfare, immunizations, visa fees, anti-Malaria medicine, and other costs amounting to approximately $4,500. I can receive cash, money orders, or checks (payable to Linda Szeto; contact me for mailing address).

Thank you! I'm touched and encouraged that so many people share this vision. Your support is greatly appreciated, and is the backbone of Therapists Without Borders. You can follow my travels here on this blog.

Sincerely,

Linda Szeto, M.A., CCC-SLP
Founder / Executive Director
Therapists Without Borders
www.ThWB.org

Dago Donations

At a primary school in Dago Village, in western Kenya area near where Obama has history, I was a welcomed visitor.



Following a speech about the importance of education and hard work (which was mysteriously NOT recorded!), I presented the faculty and students half of the donations my Kamiak High School colleagues and Seattle friends gave me. I saved the other half for Sirua Aulo Academy, which I visited afterward.

(Note particularly minute marker 1:40, after I tell the kids they can each have a new pencil, and near the end when a teacher discovers sticky notes)

Dago welcoming their visitor: Part 1

At the end of my week at Dago Village, my host planned for me to observe the math class again till the end of the geometry lesson, and, at my request, observe Rose Achieng (Jacqueline's younger sister, with apparent developmental disability) in her class. Afterward, during their morning break, they were to gather the students in the center for me to present the donations officially.

Well, as per usual, things started much later than scheduled and it was all very informal. I gave my camera to Edwin to record for me. I told him that the microphone picks up best at 3 feet or so from the speaker and he took it to heart! He walked right up to all the speakers/performers and was almost in-their-face which made them shy away even more hahaha...

Anyway, enjoy! I captioned what I could and apologize for the gaps, probable inaccuracies, and poor color contrast. I've been using Windows Movie Maker to edit and publish these videos, then load them onto Youtube to embed onto this blog in order to save memory and make sharing the videos easier.

"The Ditch"

Similar to Greg Mortenson building a bridge to overcome his first obstacle into Korphe (See: "Three Cups of Tea"; more info on this blog later), Emmanuel Leina needs to build a bridge.

Badly.

This is the only connection between the main roads and Sirua Aulo Academy.

If it rains during the day, then all bets are off. If it rained overnight, at least he'd have to wait till it dries up a bit before trying to pass it. It is a 45 minute walk between his home and school.

It's hard to appreciate The Ditch from pictures, so I clipped together this 3 minute video for you. Among the many requests for donations I've presented in this blog, this one is just as important. Supply trucks cannot pass through this, so Emmanuel drives everything to the property himself. Right now, there are only temporary structures at the school, but the goal is for permanent buildings to be ready ASAP, including a clinic and library on the property. I will blog more about the property later, but for now suffice it to say there is currently no easily accessible clinic in the area, and no library in the entire Transmara District.

Well, except for the one massive suitcase of books I brought.

---


Again,

Village Volunteers is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.

100% of your contributions will go directly to the project of your choice, and all fees associated with wiring the funds to the villages are absorbed by Village Volunteers.

To donate by check, please make checks payable to Village Volunteers and note the purpose in the memo line ("Emmanuel's Bridge"). Checks should be mailed to:

Village Volunteers
5100 S. Dawson St., Suite 202
Seattle, WA 98118
USA

You can also make a donation online. Village Volunteers uses PayPal to securely process all online donations.

Or, if you would like to wire a donation to Village Volunteers, please email Florinda Peralta at florinda@villagevolunteers.org for our account information.

Lugging the donations across Kenya

On June 22nd, during the 7 hour journey from Nairobi to Dago village, Edwin (aka "Morning"), my arranged escort, and I took two matatus and so did my luggage.

That is, we had to fit two suitcases into one matatu heading toward Kisii ahead of our own matatu and pick it up later when we arrived.

In Kisii, we transferred to another matatu but didn't have the option to separate my 3 cases since we were going to a more rural area.

So... they tied the largest suitcase to the roof and stuck the other two in the back. My backpack with only my personal items in it stayed with me on my lap, where I was crammed in the middle of the front with the gearshift jamming into my leg.

From Kisii, we rode into the Dago village center. Edwin found one of his friends with a motorbike and talked him into riding my suitcases home for us. Following the motorbike, Edwin and I walked the rest of the way home. I don't know the distance and don't remember how long it took to walk... It could've been anywhere between 20-40 minutes... Everyone who handled my suitcases, together weighing almost 200 lbs, lifted them as if carrying the grocery home. Men carried on their shoulders; women carried on their heads. Incredible strength and balance! (They weren't impressed with the wheels and handle method, which proved sensible since the roads are so bumpy).

Books of cultural relevance

Thanks to the donations written directly to me (instead of Village Volunteers where they could've received a tax-break), I could afford to pick up a few more items when I arrived in Nairobi. We stopped by a book store and here are a few things I found that exemplify (exaggerate, really) the difference between our side of the world and theirs.

(Click on the images to see full size)

These are curriculum-based stories for the grades listed in the circles above the titles. They each are educational (e.g., "Doctor Tortoise" discusses common health problems related to basic care such as dental hygiene) or moral (e.g., the lesson Bogi learns in "Bogi Learns a Lesson" is to not be lazy and take advantage of others' kindness).

One of my favorite stories is "Sipoi and the Ogre", which is based on the Maasai. I've uploaded the first and last pages of this story, though I've copied the rest of the pages if any of you are curious enough to request it. :-)

The most intriguing book is the one on the bottom right for grade 4, "A for AIDS". For every letter of the alphabet, it gives readers reasons to be a part of eradicating AIDS, educating about its transmission, HIV awareness.

E for education
Listen and read all about HIV and AIDS
Learn how to avoid getting infected
Learn how to love those infected
Learn how to live with those affected

M for money
A lot of money is needed to fight HIV and AIDS
Rich nations must reach out to poor nations
And give them advice and help to fight AIDS

N for Nelson Mandela
A hero in our time
He stated that his son died of AIDS
He said stigma against people with AIDS
Was worse than the disease itself!

O for orphans
Mother went first
Father followed fast
AIDS is not a curse, we'll win at last!

X for experience
If you think AIDS is a curse you're wrong
If you ignore good advice you won't live for long
Having AIDS is not a good experience
Happiness in the future requires a lot of patience

Mr. Anderson of Kamiak HS: Dago Primary Class 8 Thank You!

On Friday, June 27, my host arranged for me to attend the 8th grade class at Dago Primary School so I can document the use of the particular donations made by one generous teacher in Mukilteo, WA.

At Dago, the math teacher prepared a geometry lesson so the students can use the new compasses, protractors, and graph paper. Calculators were few, so they were given to the staff to use for grading. Class 8 were the recipients of the donations because they are to take a major examination by the end of the school year, which determines their chances of getting into a good secondary school (high school).


After the initial excitement of giving and receiving the items, I took a back seat in the class and quickly recognized the universal experience of student boredom. Notice when the teacher asks the class "Are we together?" or "Sawa sawa?" (which means "Okay?" in Swahili)... the class responds with a very under-enthused "yes."

(I wonder how much you can understand without my captions anyway? The other voices come from behind me, from Class 7. The classes share a roof with a mud wall between which doesn't reach the top, so it all reverberates on the tin.)

If you want to know what he's saying, consult your 8th grade geometry books. :-)

Book Delivery

Emmanuel is passing out board books to the nursery and intro/kindergarten students. It is their first time with such books (even for the teacher!) and... I'm just glad to have been able to record this. They are speaking Swahili, and the very enthusiastic boy on the left is my Brian!

I was aiming to update something to this blog each night since there's so much to share, but I've hit the ground running in Fairbanks and have been constantly busy (not all work though!). I haven't had much time to finish captioning these videos, but you can be sure they will be done and posted. By the end of the year. :-) Just kidding! Maybe over the next couple weeks? By the end of August? We'll see... It's 5 gigs of pictures & videos after all!

What do you think?

I flipped through this donated book the other day called "My Very Own Octopus". In it, a boy imagines all the advantages of having a pet octopus, which includes protecting him from bullies and hugging him 8 times with his 8 arms. Those are all cute and appropriate.

But this book includes full color pages of situations such as "My room would always look neat because my octopus would help me put away all my clothes" and "And when my friend David came to visit, my octopus would help us put away all my toys"... and then "of course we would share our allowance with my octopus for helping us"... Anyone else notice something about these lines?

The boy goes on to daydream that "We would always take my octopus to the store when we went shopping. Our cart would be filled in no time at all. And anything our cart couldn't hold, my octopus would." and "On Halloween, my octopus could go around with me, and we would collect more treats than Glenn and all the other kids."...

This is the definition of American greed and materialistic competition! Consumerism starts with our children! This little boy is 'living the good life' of the Western culture of overindulgence. I'm concerned about the orphans getting the impression that all white kids have large rooms to themselves full of clothes and toys (true as it may be for most), and getting hung up on that... I mean, I'm not sure I'm comfortable explaining to poverty-stricken orphans that American kids regularly get money from their parents to buy whatever they want at the toy stores!

On the other hand, I don't want to shelter them from what it is like for a middle class American family, because that's the purpose of books - to educate and expand the minds, help them explore their world in ways they can't otherwise... I remember last year even secondary students at Pirrar were marveling at what dollar bills look like, and kept asking about what animals we raised in America, and what kinds of foods we ate, what our homes looked like... Who am I to judge how to filter their education? Perhaps this book can be presented to the students as it is -- a book written for upper to middle class U.S. citizens. -- and hope they understand.

Blog readers, what is your opinion? This is a genuine question about cultural sensitivity that I have been wrestling with over the past several weeks. Please feel free to comment on my blogs; I appreciate any feedback and value open discussion. Thanks!

See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the Packing Queen

WoW!!! 140 pounds of school supplies & books (including weight of suitcases) were donated in a month! I never get tired of saying it: THANK YOU!

Kamiak High School staff and Mukilteo School District SLPs have been so extremely generous with their donations of mostly brand new items!! I didn't expect that!

For the sake of packing space and the environment (because they burn their garbage in rural Kenya), I had to open all packaging that can't be reused for storage. It was like Christmas in June! ;-)

All told, there are over 130 books (Pic is of my sorting them by size into hard/soft covers), 1312 crayons, 584 pencils, 173 markers & color pencils (not counting an entire plastic box containing probably a hundred!), 22 rulers, 8 calculators (5 brand new! 1 TI brand!), 4 sturdy clip boards, and my favorite (b/c I didn't even think of it!): 11 protractors and 16 compasses with pencils! Not pictured are various educational toys, art/craft supplies, and my sanity.


How does one fit them all into 2 checked luggages and 1 carry-on?

Fragile items have to go into my carry-on for sure. Here's a glimpse of how tightly this is packed. (All those youthful years of competing with my brother in Tetris had to count for something!)

Layer 1


















Layer 2


















Layer 3


















Final layer! This little buddy is 40 lbs.













By the time I finished that one, I was too tired to tightly pack the remaining check-in cases. I put the hardcover books in my soft-cased green suitcase along with some durable toys.

Layer 1














Layer 2. This one is just about 50 lbs (thank goodness -- Anything over that there is a $50 charge)












And finally, the paperbacks are in the more structured case with fabrics, tote bags, and maybe some of my clothes when I get around to going to Goodwill for skirts and such (which I will wear and leave in Kenya as further donations).


This suitcase was generously donated from a colleague SLP! She said I can donate it along with my other suitcases later as I leave. Perfect! The tough part is, it is 15 lbs empty, and now it is just about 50 lbs without my clothes in it... Well, I have 3 days to sort it out!

I'll have to make room for 2 deflated soccer balls (and pumps?) because both Emmanuel and Patrick have requested it last minute. Hmm...





I will be updating about my personal backpack when I get around to packing it... It is also interesting to read about, I'm sure, because it includes such things as 5 rolls of handrolled toilet paper in a ziplock bag, and my all-in-one liquid shampoo/soap/laundry detergent.

Stay tuned!

Kenya 2008

Last year, students from Pirrar Secondary School for Girls in the Transmara District recited this poem for me among many other "dramas" and performances. These girls, whose parents pay high prices for their secondary education (i.e., equivalent to high school) sleep in the room next to the classroom. Their outpouring of enthusiasm for education in the midst of having nothing that we privileged Westerners have (like electricity, clean water, toilets, sealed windows, adequate textbooks, air conditioning) was enough to bring me to tears. They marveled not only at my camera, but also at the scent of my moisturizer, the spiral-binding of my notebook, the color of my US dollar bill, the texture of my chap stick.

I couldn't fathom how spoiled we are. I couldn't take it. I cried that night.

Their school was burned down in the post-election riots that erupted earlier this year.

Not long after my visit to Pirrar, I visited another school called Tororet Primary School which serves over 200 students. Primary education is free (up to 8th grade), but I was not prepared for what I saw. The walls of one building were wooden planks with holes wide enough for children to walk through. They don't have floors -- the dirt becomes a muddy mess when it rains, in which children sludge around barefoot. Their library consists of two walls with practically barren shelves, and the 6 teachers share one desk in their one mud-floored office.

Nevertheless, just because I came to visit -- me, a mzungu (white person) -- the whole school put on a performance [see video below] and gave speeches. For me! I did nothing that day but take pictures to be used in creating awareness and requesting donations when I got back to the States; and I haven't been too successful with that. They asked me to give a speech, and presented me with two hard boiled eggs and a cup of chai. And later, they presented a bracelet handmade by the students using tire rubber and beads 'from the city'. I will cherish that forever.

The students and faculty were inspired by my simple visit. They said (as it was translated to me from a parent's speech in Swahili) whenever a mzungu (aka, white person; to them, Chinese are also white) comes to see them, it is a good omen. We bring good fortune to them.

How does one respond to that? I was floored. I had already brought donations of school supplies to another school (where they also held a ceremony by placing all my things on a table, bringing in a battery-powered megaphone, giving speeches and performances, and sharing a feast of goat meat soup), so I didn't have anything to give to Tororet.


I still don't know how to reciprocate Tororet's generosity. There are too many schools with too much need in this area; the donations I'm collecting this time are going to be split between two other schools/orphanages (Dago Dela Hera and Sirua Aulo Academy). Both these places need the school supplies as much as Tororet. I only wish all the people who have generously contributed items will be able to be there with me to see the faces of these precious children as I open the suitcase and say, "Here. These are for you." I will do my best to take pictures and videos as much as possible so you can see the good you have done for these wonderful children.

Last year, I went to the country without any idea what I would encounter. This time, I enter armed with nullified culture shock and another year's experience as a speech-language pathologist. I've had comparatively extensive contact this time with my village hosts, who have coordinated with me on how to make the best use of my time and specific skills.

Although I am going for exactly 3 weeks between June 19 and July 9, the unfortunate reality is that a whole week is used up just to get to these rural villages and back (2 days flying, 1 day bus ride over mock-roads). I will have 7 days at Dago with my host Patrick (yet to meet), and 8 days at Sirua Aulo with host Emmanuel (same from last year). Both have delineated a rough itinerary for me:

Hello,

Glad to hear your exicited about your final times before you travel.
We cant wait to be part of Dago in 2 weeks.

We have 7 days with you, short but will make the best of it when you come.
The first 2 days you will spend with a mother and her 2 disabled kids.
The 3rd day you spend with a mother a disabled widow woman who has 5
kids, they just lost there house to the wind 3 weeks ago and have
moved in at the grandmothers house.
4th and 5th day, you spend at the childrens center, helping with everything.
6th day, you spend at the disabled school, they attend classes half
day, then later taught practical work, ie farm work and shop keeping.
Last day at the center with the community and leaders.

Hope that works with you.
Any changes will be addressed, your allowed to change schedule, when
your here, coz im sure you can want more time at a certain point.

Cant wait to meet you.

Patrick

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Linda Nashipai,

I hope this message finds you well and ready preparing to come home. I know there tons of questions you may need to ask, but be sure that Lord’s hand is in your trip and all will be well. I intend to pick you up during the early hours of the 29^thJune from Keroka. Thereafter, we head for home. We will have a our first staff session in the afternoon- and I hope it will dwell around handling children with disabilities and empowering children through speech. It can be an hour session or at most 1 and half hour.

On the 30^th June, you will be handling two kids, Leeyio and Brian who have some disabilities in their speech and handling of the 20+ kids in the introductory and nursery class- this will take you 2 days.

2^nd July- class one

3^rd July- class two

4^th July- class three and a staff session in the afternoon.

5^th July- Travel to Nakuru

6^th July- Game viewing

7^th July-Travel to Nairobi.

Each evening, we’ll be going through website content until the day you head back. Kindly bring the school one ball if you still some room in your luggage. Safe Travel.

Blessings and Love,

Emmanuel

I am intimidated at the prospect of being their one resource for the special needs population and the first volunteer back to the area after it was closed off from the threat of violence earlier this year. I am at the same time thrilled out of my mind to return to a place where love, hope, and happiness are at its purest, unencumbered by materialism, gluttony, greed. I'm anxious about my health and safety, as I will be days away from medical help should anything happen. Most of all, I am concerned that I won't be effective/useful enough to them, to be able to do something to help that will last. For these things, I trust in God to carry me through and use me as He sees fit. At the same time, I ask for your prayerful support throughout the journey and thank you in advance for it, so I know you will be with us in spirit.

----

[As the camera pans to the right, the adults at the table to my left are the school principal and a parent representative. On my right are the teachers, but I don't pan over to them on this clip. The students are performing a traditional Maasai chant about the moran returning home safely. At the time, many students were out at a district-wide music/dance festival and competition (which I was later able to attend! I might upload a clip of it where they do the same song in full regalia), but the remaining students did a magnificent job, don't you think?!]