I had a really interesting meeting this morning with Dr. Fred from Kima Hospital in Emuhya about how we can start up the epilepsy clinic at the EARC again. It used to run really successfully, not only providing people in the local community with a free service of treatment and review, but also offering really affordable prices for medicine that meant everyone could access the treatment they needed. Unfortunately, corruption and greed got in the way of it continuing, but there is such a need here I have decided to use £100 of the money that was kindly donated by my friends and family before coming out here to start up the clinic again. Far too many of the children I assess have undiagnosed epilepsy so any SLT intervention is pointless, if every day they are having seizures, every day they are likely to regress in their abilities. Like all disabilites here there is a huge stigma attached to people with epilepsy, so much so I have even met a family whose son eats from different utensils than them incase they 'catch' it. Not only will the clinic treat the children and adults in the community, but through two amazing volunteers that do outreach work through the EARC, awareness will continue to be raised about this difficulty, and therefore reduce the prejudices attached to those who have it.
The other goal of the clinic is to create a small form of sustainable income for the EARC. Profit can be made from selling the drugs, which can be used to pay for the assessment teachers to be able to do their job and follow up on all of the referrals for children with special education needs to schools they make. Statisically most children don't get taken to the school they have been referred to due to many reasons, this money will enable the teachers to find out why, and support them in attending.
I'm being 'business woman extraordinaire' at the mo, trying to formulate a proposed business plan to create a small sustainable business at the EARC to generate income for the long term. Yellow House CBO and the EARC have been relying on Yellow House Children's Services for funding/donations too much, and now, there's no money. We're waiting for Kenyan power to come and disconnect us... Not ideal. So, we're planning on creating a distance learning computer resource. So many teachers and locals are doing distance learning degrees (Wellington being one of them) and they are constantly complaining on how difficult it is researching online because internet cafes charge too much, there's no where for them to just go and use a computer to type up their essay, nor is there anywhere quiet they can sit and study. We have decided to create this 'space' for them... Through the help of a friend's organisation called access:energy we are looking to install solar pannelled electricity, so we never have to worry about the huge bill from Kenyan power, and we have 5 newly refurbished computers coming our way from Yellow House Children's Services... Just got to work out a way of getting the money to get it all up and running.. Look out for our Indiegogo campaign over the next couple of weeks...
Clinically things are going really well. I am focusing on two schools - Madzu Primary School and Kegoye Primary School, both have special educational needs units, both are integrated schools and the teachers are fabulous. I decided to focus on these because the teachers already know how to interact with the kids, and teach at their level. Other schools I have visited haven't even got these skills and I could spend the next 4 months trying to teach them that, not any strategies to support their teaching which I will be able to do at these 2 schools. After discussing this with my colleagues this is a much more benficial approach than me rarely working at any school.
Plus, a welcome to Kegoye which includes me suddenly being called to address and introduce myself to the whole school can't be beaten!!
I also checked on Elizabeth to see how she was doing in her new school and she was already settled. I was welcomed by her big beautiful smile as she proudly showed me her work, introduced me to her friends and modelled her brand new school uniform (thanks to my dear friend and fellow volunteer Skye who let funds to support Elizabeth's mother in buying the things essential for starting school..). Elizabeth's mum and community are so happy with her being accepted into a mainstream school they are starting a support/community based organisation for other families in the community who are suddenly bringing their children with disabilities out of the woodwork no they've seen what can be achieved. An organisation like this could generate income for the whole community... I have promised to help as much as I can in setting it up. Oh, and not forgetting the invite to Elizabeth's Church by her Pastor they can pray with me as thanks...
So yeah, things are ticking along nicely, work is work. Like I said... It's all a bit 'normal' now. I blooming love it though!!!
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