Art therapy assists refugees

REFUGEES from Burundi and Malawi and homeless people living on the Durban streets took art therapy classes at the Denis Hurley Centre recently. The classes were hosted by two fourth year Occupational Therapy students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Mount Edgecombe resident, Jenna Sutton and Port Shepstone resident, Nobantu Cele are completing their year of practical training.

While working at the Sea Cow Lake Clinic, the students visited the Denis Hurley Centre to treat issues such as drug addiction, depression and post traumatic stress.

“We saw various conditions from hand injuries as a result of stabbing, spinal cord injuries, stroke clients, PTSD, depression, foot injuries, amputees and a large number of substance abuse clients. We started a substance abuse group which runs very differently to how a rehab would as clients have to leave the group to find their drug to not experience withdrawal symptoms,” said Sutton.

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Lungisa Telile, who joined the art therapy class, said it helped him to unlock his potential.

“It is all about creativity, which offers potential for our thoughts to develop. It makes it easier to get a job. When you realise your skills, it helps to show what you can deliver in a job. It could help to stabilise the economy if we could find jobs,” said Telile who has been living on the street.

Sutton said PTSD and drug addictions drastically impact a person’s occupational routine as they might not go to work as a result of the trauma and anxiety or as a result of the substance they are abusing.

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“OTs therefore discover the person’s previous occupational roles such as being a father, and use rehabilitation and psychosocial treatment strategies to return clients to their previous roles,”said Sutton.

Sr Cathy Murugan, a social worker at the Denis Hurley Centre, said some of the people in the class had mental or physical disabilities.

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