Volunteer Story – Ken & Maria King As a couple, we were lucky enough to spend an amazing five weeks in Thigio Special School, just outside Nairobi, Kenya in January 2020. We both had some experience of volunteering in other parts of Africa and Asia in advance of our trip, but each project is unique and inspiring. We were kindly welcomed by the community of sisters who ran the special school and we settled in very quickly. In the early days, we observed the staff and students in their environment and assisted when requested. What we witnessed was remarkable and inspiring. With limited resources and funding, curriculum objectives were adapted with creative practical alternatives and great success was achieved. Many of the students had complex needs including physical disabilities and challenges. The staff had developed comprehensive individual programmes to assist the students with movement, dexterity, developing muscle tone and supporting life skills. There was limited access to wheelchairs, no adapted transport, no hoists or lifting equipment. Adaptations were made possible through the use of household items and local resources to provide students with exercises to develop skills such as strengthening, stretching, reaching etc. Given the lack of purpose- built equipment, aids and technology, many an educator in Ireland would feel overwhelmed and hopeless. However, in Thigio, the students were supported with consistent exercise regimes and parents/guardians were often encouraged into the school to learn and adapt the programme to the home environment. One of the staff would visit houses to oversee and support this. During our time in Kenya, we witnessed incredible developments and progress, such as students being able to hold a spoon, walking a step for the first time and learning to communicate in a way that supported learning. We observed endless patience and sometimes tears but determination and a great sense of achievement for both the students and the staff. The one-to-one attention we witnessed would challenge any occupational therapy department in Irish school settings! On returning to Ireland, we were delighted to share our experiences with our colleagues in Special Education settings. They were interested to hear of the value and success of the consistent reinforcement and investment in daily routines and exercises, which really transformed the lives of the children. We challenged our colleagues to reconsider the idea of always looking for more resources but rather focus on using and reusing resources and equipment already available.A quality education, isn’t about money and resources, it’s about the quality of time, consistency and relationships. This was clear for us to see from our time spent in Kenya. We would like to thank the sisters in the Thigio community, all the staff in the school and of course, the students, for letting us share their precious world with us. You all hold a special place in our memories. Asante! Maria and Ken King. Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. Share this article
