MH370 Mystrey. Whose concern is it anyway?

It is just over a month after the disappearance of the Malaysian airplane the MH370 which carried more than 200 people and the airline attendants. the whole world has joined in the never ending search of a more than 217,000 sq. km area in the Indian ocean. The search for this Boeing 777 has touched the lives of many and also united enemy states and countries who have joined together to find the ultimate truth about the where about of the huge bird of the sky.

The main question that remains with all of us is : should we be concerned as the citizens of the world? When looking at the issue  from the perspective of an ordinary South African who perhaps have never been exposed to an aeroplane or an airport for that matter, it is difficult to answer this question because  I would be looking at the issue as something that does not exist in my world. However this perspective is different when looking at the broader issue of its effect to the world and the also the effect to the relation between Malaysia and other countries.

 The families of more than 200 people who are spending sleepless nights thinking about their loved ones and their whereabouts which has lasted over a month now is an absolute trauma for them and their relatives and friends. These are ordinary people like me and you who their daily occupations has been affected just because someone wants to settle his political score with the Malaysian government but affecting innocent people in the same time.

Many people have come with different theories which are however not solving the problem yet brushing the skin of what seems to be the real problem that has resulted in the disappearance of flight MH370: That is Terrorism. This is a new phenomenon that is has invaded the 21st century and is increasing as fast as the virus in the computer. In just under the year we will be joining our colleagues for community services and in future some of us have desires of pursuing their careers over seas and including countries like Malaysia, Japan and the USA.This means one way or the other we are either directly or indirectly affected by terrorism hence my earlier statement : Whose concern is it anyway?

The disappearance of MH370 should not only be a concern to families of victims or the government of Malaysia. However this should be a cause for concern to each and every citizen of the world as this thing is the first of it's kind since the invention of the airplanes but it is indeed not the last. Nobody no one when the next plane will disappear and who will be the unlucky person in the plane that day. Terrorism was invented by people and it can be put to a stop by people united and speaking one voice. Therefore it is important to raise our voice and rebuke this demonic phenomenon in our midst.

Wishing the Malaysian navy,Australia and the rest of the countries involved  and all the countries involved a successful search in finding the bodies of those who disappeared.

The importance of preserving our water.

I recently drove past one of the informal settlements at Cator Manor Durban KZN, I saw a long queue of people with 25 litres of water cans  lining for water. Suddenly there broke up a huge fight between two women arguing who should get the water first. I told the friend of mine to pull over so that I can try to follow the story. As I was there looking at this "Kasi" drama one thing struck my mind: the importance of water in our  daily occupations and how can one undermine its role in our society.

The research regarding the determinants of World War III have highlighted that the next world war will not be fought over oil, nor mineral resources, or politics, but by the shortage of water. Water is becoming a scarce resource everyday and we are not quick to realise it because we still have water when we flush our toilets, water our gardens and shower during the night. However, this is not the case for the Cator Manor community, as the 25 litres of water is used to cover almost all the occupations within the house, such as bathing, drinking and cooking for the family per day. These are the people that understand how it is to go to a clinic having not had a bath all day due to water insufficiency in the household. These are the people who can use one basin of water for multipurpose reasons, such as bathing, then taking that same water to wash clothes, and thereafter water the plants with it, etc.

A challenge that one may perhaps pose is to start realising that ordinary lives of people somehow depend on the availability of water. An 18 year old girl, for example, will not feel comfortable with herself in a first year University having not had a bath due to lack of water at home. This might not affect only her hygiene, but may also contribute to her low self confidence resulting in poor performance in class.

What we do with limited water reserves is up to us, and what we teach those who have not seen the need to preserve water is working an extra mile. Preserving water is every citizen's responsibility which includes the author and the reader of this blog.

Rehab games for stroke patients

I just watch some interesting trans disciplinary team games for stroke patients on you tube . http://youtu.be/M2ULi2Po1Zc . what I like the most about this video is the way the goals for all the disciplines is presented and how nicely it fits together during the games.

This shows that even though ,trans disciplinary approach of treatment is a process but it is achievable with experience and practice. but the key thing is to understand your profession as the therapist so as to be able to transfer you knowledge to the other professions.

I am so pumped up to work with the TDA after watching this in practice.

Building sustainable Relationships with the communities.

Building sustainable relationship with communities is a process that requires many things which includes time ,trust and understanding. having been at the community block for more than  6 weeks. I have realised how important it is forming solid relationships with the community that you are working with. 

One thing that me and my colleagues done in the community we were working with was targeting the community care givers (CCG's). at first they were reluctant to work with us however as the days progressed they came to the party and were willing to be part of our treatment sessions and played a huge role in making sure that the home visits covered were successful. As the CCG's are getting stipends for the services they are rendering to the community ,they felt everything should be done through them unless we are in the community to take their roles.

Back  to back meetings with the CCG's helped in strengthening and cementing the relationship as we were able to answer the questions they had and we also explained that our role was not to do away with whatever they have, however to supplement and add on the knowledge that they have gained over the past years.

The therapist behaviour towards the community determines the type of relationship they will form with the community concerned. A therapist with a negative attitude or that undermines the roles of other community stakeholders will find it difficult to form solid relationships with stakeholders such the CCG's.

One person (unknown) said " Go to the people ,live with them. love them and learn from them. use what they have and concentrate to what they know , in the end when the work is done they will rejoice.. We have done it ourselves".

It touched me

 I recently watched this document accidentally when i was browsing through you tube, trying to reduce the OT 4 stress.However instead of alleviating the stress this documentary depressed and touched me but all of a sudden i realised that as Occupational therapists we do not see disability as anyone else ,so why should I be depressed instead of appreciating the beauty that God is doing to his people.

Hope you will enjoy

or view via  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP_MDRw3Dvg

Rhino poarching a national crisis...

Last week Friday as I was taking a walk with a friend in the beach a came across this young man who uses sand to design powerful message on display for visitors and tourists in our Durban beaches. the picture depicted the following message:

My friend was overly excited about the talent that the young man who made that statue and the way he was so passion about his work, however this was not the case for me. I spent almost two minutes appreciating the art but most importantly the powerful message that was portrayed "Save rhinos-Stop rhino poaching''. Many people see this as something that does not concern them as rhinos are not people and are not close by to their habitats hence they do not see how important are they to their lives.  If I was not an occupational therapist student in an institution that promotes community activism I would definitely not have taken notice of the message or I would have ignored it in totality. however I understand that rhinos play a major role not in the ecosystem but as part of Africa's big 5 most tourists come to our country to appreciate these magnificent powerful creatures.

With this blog I want to challenge all the occupational therapists to take a firm stand against rhino poaching as activist and advocate of change to protect the future heritage of the generations to come after us. We need to appreciate that animals are part of the environment and also part of the communities that we work in. Some of us will be working in the northern part of the province of KwaZulu Natal next year near the Umfolozi game reserve where Rhino poaching has reached it's peak. one of my favourite occupational therapist lectures said one day that ''the little things that you do in the society count a lot to does that are affected''. Saving rhinos could not only be beneficial for our nature conservation but can also save the jobs of those rangers who earn a salary by caring for our animals.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





                         

Political intolerance in the hostels of KK, Why now?

The recent uproar between thee two political parties the National Freedom Party  and the Inkatha Freedom Party in the KK hostels  KwaDabeka Durban South Africa and the surrounding hostels, has caught media attention  from all over the world.

The national freedom party(NFP) is the break away party of the  Inkatha freedom party(IFP) formed in 2011 by the then former Chairperson of the IFP due to dissatisfaction within the party. It is mostly dominated by the younger generation which wanted change within the IFP because it felt it was more of a traditional party then a holistic party and that it's President Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi had to step because he has served his time in the party.


Before we iron out the issue of political intolerance in the hostels, one must briefly remind the public that political intolerance has been one of the major problems affecting our communities post democracy. the killing of 25 family members of the ANC at Shobashobane North of KwaZulu Natal and the never ending war between the ANC and the IFP in the early 90's are all examples of political intolerance in our communities and our country at large.

 But why are we experiencing this pandemic 20 years post democracy? 

I do not think there is a definite answer to the above question I have posed to myself and perhaps even the readers of  this blog. we need to first scrutinise the type of communities that is usually found in many KZN hostels.Well to cut the long story short, these hostels are dominated by people coming from the northern KZN which covers the Zululand and UThungulu district municipalitie which are strong holds of the two political parties in question.

The first explanation is that these wars start in the rural areas where s these communities live and the scores are set in the hostels where there is not enough security or protection from the families as in the rural areas with which they live in.

The second explanation is that, there is a fight for the minimal resources that available for the people living in the hostels such as KK in KwaDabeka. It is important to note that these two political parties do not enjoy hegemony in the cabinet of KZN, hence a fight will somehow revolve for these resources as it is a known fact that most people in the hostels are living in poverty and yes most of them are unemployed.

What is it that is out there for us as Occupational therapists?

As occupational therapists we are well known for advocacy and activism more especially in our communities. we need to be aware of such ills that the communities and our clients face on a daily basis. It is also up to us to face this quagmire and come up with intervention strategies that will help alleviate political intolerance in the hostels and in the communities we serve.

As one exists this blog it should be noted that the author writes in his own views which are not sponsored by any political party.