My humanity is bound in yours ...

“Africans believe in something that is difficult to render in English. We call it ubuntu, botho. It means the essence of being human. You know when it is there and when it is absent. It speaks about humanness, gentleness, hospitality, putting yourself out on behalf of others, being vulnerable. It embraces compassion and toughness. It recognises that my humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”

This is undoubtedly one of my favourite quotes. Humans have this amazing ability to love and be loved and this quote highlights the importance of this wonderful gift. This is, in my opinion, is the sole reason we were placed on this earth.

It is easy to become weighed down by all the bad in the world but to me this quote is proof that good people still exist and there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Last week, I was fortunate to hear from many kind and inspiring people who have made a difference and touched many lives. As part of our community orientation programme our class with other health sciences disciplines were exposed to three days of ... inspiration.

On day one of orientation we had the pleasure of meeting Daniel. Daniel has athetoid cerebral palsy, a movement disorder characterised by fluctuating muscle tone. As a result Daniel is wheelchair bound and dependent on others to complete functional tasks of daily living. Daniel attended a school for physically disabled children and, despite his high intellect, was placed in a class for the intellectually disabled. Eventually a teacher realised Daniels full potential and taught him how to use a computer. Daniel used this skill to write and present motivational talks. Due to his condition Daniel takes hours to write only a few pages and, because his speech muscles are affected, it is very difficult for him to talk. Despite this, Daniel is determined to share his story.

Daniel started his talk with a though provoking question. He asked “what was your first thought when you saw me.” Immediately the room became uncomfortable because, unintentionally, we had judged Daniel and labelled him ‘disabled.’  Daniel spoke about the hardships of growing up and never feeling ‘normal.’ On one occasion Daniel walked into a shop and some people laughed because he was different. As Daniel matured he realised that his disability was part of who he was and instead of trying to be normal he embraced this part of himself. Daniel is a fantastic example of success despite adversity and a valuable lesson can be learned from his story.

Another talk that stood out  was a talk by Joe White. Joe came from an affluent family in America where, in his opinion, ones worth was directly related to material goods, but an inspirational trip to South America highlighted the value in helping others. This revelation inspired Joe to start missionary work which lead him to the valley of a thousand hills in Durban. Joe arrived in South Africa shortly after apartheid and the valley of a thousand hills was predominantly African. Despite being one of the few white people in the area Joe immersed himself in the community. Joe noticed that the ‘rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer’ as a result of a capitalist society. He believed the only way to combat this was to address the problem at a grassroots level by teaching people valuable life skills that would allow them to better themselves. Consequently, Joe began a non profit organisation aimed at achieving just this. Joe told a wonderful story of two men, one of the men had recently got out of jail and the other man was a drug dealer. These men attended Joe’s course in order to learn the layout of the building so that they could break into it and steal from them. Today, one of these men attends a prestigious university overseas and the other runs the non-profit organisation.   This story emphasised the success of Joes programme. Through his programme many people have found employment and were able to better themselves and their families.

Lastly we had a lovely lecture on the state of our country and the state of the world. The lecturer began by asking the class: “How are we doing?” “How is the country doing?” “How is the world doing?” The lecturer used creative methods to highlight the state of South Africa and the world. It made me realise that I had become so caught up in my world that I had very little knowledge of the problems that people in our country and in other parts of the world face. Society is so concerned with me, myself and I that we have very little energy left to care for others. This highlights the importance of what Desmond Tutu said regarding ubuntu. We have lost sight of “essence of being human” which is to love and care for others. As Occupational Therapy students we are privileged to be exposed to these perspectives. Over the three days of orientation I was inspired and ... changed.

Relaxation Tape

As part of our curriculum we had to record a relaxation tape so I decided to include in my blog because I tried it out on a client and it was really effective ... Enjoy!

Be the change you want to see in the world

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has had a series of recent outbursts slamming the current state of affairs in our country and in my opinion his concerns are completely valid.  “What on earth are you doing!” he shouted in reference to violence that is currently plaguing our country. I can only agree! For years individuals like Nelson Mandela fought for peace and equality in South Africa but we seem to have completely disregarded their intent for our country. We are killing each other and in doing so we are killing the vision that Mandela and other notable freedom fighters had for South Africa.

This is an issue that I feel particularly strongly about. I love my country. It is rich with diversity and culture and there is beauty everywhere we turn, but I live in fear. I live in fear for myself and the people I love.

“The greatest gift our nation could possibly give uTata Nelson Mandela … would be to emulate his magnanimity and grace" Tutu said during Mandela’s 94^th birthday celebrations. This reminds me of my favourite saying by Gandhi which is “be the change you want to see in the world.” This is so appropriate to our current state of affairs. It is up to us to make a change.  If we as South Africans can lead by example and be ambassadors of a country that Mandela and the other prominent freedom fighters envisioned for our country we would live in a more united and peaceful place.

“I am 80-years-old. Can’t you allow us elders to go to our graves with a smile, knowing that this is a good country? Because truly - it is a good country!” Tutu said. I suggest we work together as a country to make Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s wish come true.

A Tabelspoon of Inspiration

Joost van der Westhuizen is widely known for his successful rugby career, his marriage to Amor Vittone, and the infamous sex tape. He even admits to be arrogant saying “I must say I was a bit arrogant. But that’s what my life of playing rugby made me. I am not blaming rugby at all. It is a question of everybody wants your autograph, your photo, your time… all your life, people looked after you. You got away with everything.”

Admittedly, from this, I drew up a rather unflattering picture of this man in my mind. However, after watching Derek Watts’ interview with Joost on Carte Blanche the picture I had developed of him slowly changed and he became an inspiring role model to anyone battling disability.

These days Joost is more commonly recognised for his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a motor neuron disease that is rapidly progressive and characterised by muscle weakness and wasting. In Joosts case this has resulted in slurred speech, clumsy fingers and a weak grip. His doctors have given him 2 to 5 years to live.

Now Joost is a changed man and spends his time and money supporting others with similar disabilities through his charity the J9 foundation and rather than taking the credit for his actions he insists that at public fundraising events his publicist talk because he does not want the event to be about him.

His battle to perform the simplest of tasks was heart breaking to watch but Joost points out “I am still alive, not dead.” He told Watts that “there was a time in the beginning when I just withdrew. And I actually had to make a decision: I’m going to sit here and die or you’re going to live your life, enjoy it while you can. And I wake up with a smile.”

This is so true to any one battling disability or adversity. Every moment you are alive you make a conscious decision to feel happy or sad, positive or negative, helpless or powerful, victimised or motivated. It is up to you to choose how to feel every second of every day regardless of situation or circumstance.

Choose wisely.

Visit to St Thomas Children’s Home

Some information on St Thomas Children’s Home

“St Thomas’ Children’s Home is a registered non-governmental organization located in Sherwood, Durban. They have 60 children that reside at the home between the ages of 2-10 years old. The children come from disadvantaged backgrounds, that is, HIV positive, abandoned and orphaned, abused and neglected. They are committed to provide holistic programmes to enhance the quality of life of their children. They facilitate the re-integration of children into the community of families.” (Rotary District. 2012)

Our trip to St Thomas

On Saturday our class was privileged enough to visit St Thomas Children’s Home. We were divided into groups and asked to plan activities for the children. Our group had to plan an activity for the Daisy’s which were boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 6. As a warm up we commenced the session with a game based on the premise of pass-the-parcel. Music is played and a ball is passed around the circle. Whoever is holding the ball when the music stops has to perform a task given to them by a student in order to win a prize. The tasks centered on teaching the children fundamental concepts like colours and numbers. For example, a student would hold up a blue card and ask “what colour is this?” or the student would hold up a shape and ask “what shape is this?” The students ensured that each child got to participate and received a prize.

The main activity was shakers making. The shakers were made using toilet rolls and a variety of beans and grains. The children made the shakers and were encouraged to decorate them.  Once all the children had made a shaker the students and the children sang nursery rhymes which gave the children an opportunity to use their shakers.

Overall, the activity was a huge success as the children really engaged with the students and had a good time. I felt like we provided a fun element and was successful in breaking an institutionalized regime. However, the session could have been planned better to reduce the confusion among the students and children. Additionally, there were too many students giving instructions which further confused the children. I would suggest that one student be put in charge and the others assist when needed.

As much as I loved spending time with the children it was hard to accept that we only popped in for one morning and then we returned to our privileged lives with families that care for us while these children would remain in the home. It made me grateful for everything that I have but also bad that I wasn’t doing more.

Valuable resources for dealing with vulnerable children:

http://www.vfpms.org.au/childrenatrisk/vuln.htm

This website aims to teach health professionals about vulnerable children and how to recognize them as well as our role in dealing with vulnerable children. It is very comprehensive and resourceful.

References:

Rotary District. 2012. St Thomas Children’s Home. [O]. Available: http://www.rotary9270.org.za/westville/projects/41/ Accessed: 30 July 2012

Values Clarification

Today we had a lecture on values clarification. Sounds interesting? Well, it was! I have never taken the time to think about what my values are in life even though our values are the crux of who we are.

The lecturer began by asking us to plot on a scale our feelings about homosexuality and abortion. Two topics surrounded by controversy and guaranteed to spark debate. Before even entering into the debate people where nervously placing their dots on the scale for fear of being judged. The debate continued for ages with compelling arguments for and against each issue. The discussion got heated as people could not understand why others did not think the way they did. Of course, this is the fundamental issue. Our values determine what we believe in and personal values are so deeply rooted and ingrained that they will not or very seldom change.

What I learnt is that it is important to know your own individual values because they provide a strong sense of self and; as one our class members so beautifully put it: “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. However, having said this, we need to accept that human beings are all unique and, consequently, so are their values. This is a valuable lesson to take with us into treatment which brings me back to the growth games publication - like I mentioned it is so important to leave your values “at the door” when treating a client because, in order for treatment to be successful we, as Occupational therapists, have to be completely accepting of our patients and not impose our values on them. It is not up to us to change other people’s values in fact the world would be a much happier place if we could all agree to disagree!

Another, less controversial way of addressing values clarification with your client is to do an exercise where you list actual and ideal values; find the gaps between them; and decide on a plan of action to accomplish your desired values.  This is a lot harder said than done. One has to be very attuned to and honest with yourself but if this is possible it can be a very successful exercise.

Values clarification is not an issue that should be overlooked in treatment. It is essential to a holistic and successful treatment plan. Not only is it valuable for the client to clarify their values but it is essential for the therapist to know her values so that they do not get in the way of a successful treatment.

Just the Motivation I Needed ...

Today, our class was lucky enough to be visited by a very motivational man. He is a service user at Newlands Park Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre in Durban. He was admitted to Newlands due to his addiction to drugs and he is currently nearing the end his stay there. This was his first time speaking to people about his condition and he was open and honest in his delivery. I admired the way he stood up in front of a group of people he didn’t know and shared his story.

I should probably mention that at this point I am not feeling as motivated and passionate about Occupational Therapy as I have always been (Apparently, a completely common phenomenon for an OT student). I am struggling with the work and am demotivated by the lack of progression in my clients. However, after listening to the massive change that one (very small) Occupational Therapist made in this man’s life my spirits were lifted. He was a reminder of why I started studying Occupational Therapy in the first place.

More important though, were the valuable life lessons that I learnt from this man’s talk.  The first lesson is we are all responsible for our lives or as he put it “our life is in our hands.” It is up to us to set goals and make the appropriate changes to achieve those goals. The second lesson is believe in yourself. He says it is important not too care too much about what people think. A skill I could definitely apply to my life. He says “if people don’t like me, it is okay, because I like me!” Food for thought indeed! I only hope that I can take a leaf from his book and apply these valuable lessons to my own life.