UKZN trio make a worthwhile contribution
With the help of the residents, Thembisile Mdakane, Langa Shezi and Zama Mzobe were able to be involved in many uplifting projects; assisting women and learners.
AS PART of their community field work training, occupational therapy students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal are expected to assist their communities.
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Occupational therapy (OT) is a branch of health care that helps people of all ages who have physical, sensory or cognitive problems.
OT can help them regain independence in all areas of their lives. Occupational therapists help with barriers that affect a person’s emotional, social, and physical needs.
Three students; Thembisile Mdakane, Langa Shezi and Zama Mzobe were placed in the Mariannridge community.
With the help of Mariannridge residents, the trio had a chance to interact with the community and got involved in many uplifting projects assisting women and learners.
Through the women’s empowerment initiative, Mdakane said they discovered a large number of female-headed households within the community.
“There is high rate of poverty because most of them are unemployed,” she said.
To enable the women to become self sufficient the students donated clothes which the women of the community sold.
“We started with one lady and we are hoping to involve more women. This will give ladies the confidence they need and offer them an opportunity to stand on their own while providing for the families. They will also get together to discuss a way forward and encourage each other,” said Mdakane.
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Next on the agenda was working with children who have various challenges at one of the primary schools in the area.
“Within the school are children who experience developmental delays, autism, ADHD and intellectual impairment.”
Mdakane said often primary schools are under-resourced in terms of staff and overcrowding makes it difficult to attend to each child’s unique needs.
“Facilitators often have difficulty identifying and handling children who have special needs.
“Occupational Therapy services were given to some of the children. This was done to promote typical development and enable children to reach their developmental milestones and to assist children to cope within the school environment,” she said.
This was made possible through the partnership between the students with CAST.
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Through their stay in the area and learning the challenges that the community faces, their next stop was the Mariannridge Secondary School.
“Learners sometimes complete matric, then stay at home with nothing to do which sometimes leads them abusing alcohol and drugs. This continues the cycle of poverty within the community.”
To empower the Mariannridge Secondary School Grade 12s, they educated them about the financial aid available for one to further his/her studies as a large number of Mariannridge residents cannot afford higher education training which is meant to provide the students with stress management and coping strategies as well as relaxation techniques.
The trio also worked at the local clinic, taught the patients about OT services which are also offered at their clinic.
“The community needs to know that they do not have to travel to big hospitals to access treatment and waste money on transport.
They also revamped the park so that children could play in a colourful and clean area.
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