Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Ministry of Education and ZAMESIE interest in College of Direct Support and Teacher Training Program

There remains strong interest in the development of improved special education teacher training throughout the country of Zambia. The resources and instructional curriculum used in the special education programs is far from current. Teachers receives little if any continuing education and their focus within special education remains on reading, writing and math. The concept of functional skill and life skill development is not prevalent.

We have offered the College of Direct Support curriculum and offered to seek grant funding to improve educational opportunities for teachers and assistant teachers. The Ministry of Education in Lusaka which is the only registry for teachers in Zambia continues to express interest in a partnership and moving teacher training forward in Zambia. There is a new person in leadership at the Ministry in Lusaka and I do feel hopeful that he can leverage the needed political will to get this moving forward.

Each trip the connectivity to the internet is improved and there are certainly places for availability. Developing labs and seeking resources to pay for access remains a barrier but one worth tackling.

There were no electricity outages the entire two weeks that we were int he country. This too is a vast improvement over previous visits.

Another Day in Zambia

On the scheduled day of our departure the stars simply were not aligned. The bus driver never arrived to pick us up to take us to the airport (later we found out he had a flat tire), Mikala really wanted us to stop by ZAMESIE (the special education training college), traffic was awful, we were stopped three time by road blocks and when we finally arrived at the airport there was a problem with our tickets (ticket numbers had changed and Kenyan Air did not seem to know this). The employees at Kenyan Air told us we had to leave the airport and go downtown to their offices in Lusaka. Needless to say they were not helpful at all. I was on the phone with Delta airlines over 2.5 hours trying to figure out a solution. Initially we were not going to get out until the 18th of April and it was going to cost each of us an addition $2,800. In the end we are leaving one day later, arrive home one day later and it cost $62.50 each.

The good news is that it was one more day in Zambia with Mikala and her family. Jean got her giant avocados for dinner and I got a few more bananas. Most importantly we got to listen to many more stories from Mikala and learned more about Zambian traditions and various tribal similarities and differences. I slept better then I have the entire two weeks and Jean is getting some needed rest as she has developed a full fledged crud in her chest type of cold (seems it has been passed around here for the past few weeks and Kelly, Jean and I were unable to escape it).

It is 7:15am on Wednesday April 13th and the driver has already arrived. Everyone here felt terrible we were not able to get out yesterday. The driver has arrived about 3 hours before we asked him to so that he ensures we are there on time. That just seems to be a way here – putting concerns of others first and praising God for it.

I am sure we will have a safe journey home. As always I have learned more then I could have possible taught. I look forward to the next journey here and to on-going relationships with my colleagues in Zambia.

Strong Community Abounds

One of the greatest joys I get when I come to Zambia is this immediate awareness of community in this country. Parents help all children (not just their own). Children have so much more freedom at very young ages to roam their neighborhoods and adults (really any adult) will reprimand and redirect the children. If a mother sees a child crying she does not hesitate to ask the parent what is wrong and to offer advise. This is accepted and people do not seem to get offended or to think others are butting into their business. The children seem to have a general understanding that they should listen to adults and respect them.

Most Zambians seem to understand the need for sustainability and helping out their friends and families. “Buying local” is not a concept that has to be taught here, it is a way of life. Tradition is that if family shows up at your door (cousins, in laws anyone) they do not have to call first, ask permission, they show up and you take care of their needs until they leave.
On our way to Chwama we were in our van and a huge truck hauling cartons of something cut across the main road and into our side of the road and across three lanes of traffic; it then lost control and quickly went back across the three lanes of traffic. It nearly collided with a public mini bus (blue/white 12 passenger vans that are used as public transport). Of course the mini bus and other honked their horns. Then as if it were organized they caught up with the driver of the truck and got on three sides (front, back and side) and forced it off the road. Then they awaited the police. The truck driver was obviously drunk and these other members of the community took it upon them selves to get him off the road in a strategic yet peaceful way.

Neighbors all know neighbors here and they look out for one another. Workers care about one another and the health and well-being of their families. Churches are strong places of counsel and networking and entertainment. They also play significant roles in social welfare and establishing community norms.

Staple Foods



The Zambian people definitely have staple foods that they eat every day. Nshima is the main staple. It is ground maize that is cooked very thick. The ground is larger then grits. The consistency between that of grits and polenta. It is white in color and the Zambian people eat this at least twice a day. They mold it in their hands and use it to sop up the juice and contents of another staple called relish. This relish is what I would describe as stewed vegetables. It usually has a green, tomatoes and onions in it and then a sauce. It is one of their primary sources of vegetables. Beans are another commonly eaten food. One of my favorite food items here is something called ground nuts. They obviously by their name are grown in the ground and look like peanuts but they have a much milder flavor and are roasted in a skillet on the stove or a fire. Eggs, bananas (the best in the world) and tea are also very common foods. Of course at the supermarkets one can find most anything.

As an indication of the rapid globalization and commercialism in this country in the past two years what was a small strip mall at Manda Hill is now a two story full fledged inside mall, there is a Subway, KFC and a McDonalds (UGH!).

Micro Enterprises Galore

The first time I visited Zambia I was struck by the people with disabilities that I saw with their own “shops.” A way of life in Zambia is to sell goods in your neighborhood or along the side of the road. You see these selling stands nearly everywhere. I have seen several people with disabilities selling their own goods.
There is a pervasive lack of transition planning and programs in Zambia. We spent a great deal of time talking with policy makers about this need. Yet at the same time families and neighbors understand that if people with disabilities can be taught to make and sell something or to sell fruits and vegetables they can make a living. Mikala was sharing how they had at one time tried to teach a few children how to make sunflower oil by pressing seeds (sunflower oil is their stable cooking oil). While this effort in the end failed because it took so long for the children to hand press oil, it is such an indication of the creative thought yet simple idea to promote self-reliability and sustainability for people with disabilities as they grow older.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Home Visits in Baulini Compound and Kabannana Compound



What a busy day. We did home visits in Baulini and at Kabannana Compounds for children who receive home based education. These children are deemed not ready for school and therefore receive one home visit a week in which a teacher, physio or assistant teacher (direct support professional) works with the family to implement educational programs. It was interesting to interact with the children and their families. Here is a glimpse of our learning:

Veronica (age 12 - though she looked to be about 6 or 7)- Veronica was outside of her home when we arrived. She is unable to walk on her feet though she seems to get around fine on her knees. She was able to make sounds and could say a few words. Her teacher had a bag with her with a puzzle and some books in it. Veronica's eyes lit up when she saw this. It was so clear that veronica was eager to learn. She used to attend Baulini school and also received physical therapy once a week. Unfortunately she no longer able to go to school or therapy because she has gotten too big for her friends to carry her a mile to school each day. Veronica's mother works and is a single parent so Veronica now stays home alone each day with only the supervision of younger children in the compound and neighbors. If she had a wheel chair she'd be able to find a friend to push her to/from school. A Zambian made wheelchair costs about 1.8 million Kwatcha or approximately $400. This is what prevents her from the opportunity to learn at Baulini.

Muika (age 1.8 years)-
This was wonderful to observe. This little boy is one of a few who receive early intervention services in Zambia. This is not common. Children attend school beginning at age 7 and very very few go to any type of pre-school program. Muika has cerebral palsy which was diagnosed shortly after his birth. He had a specialized chair made out of paper that enabled him to sit up. These chairs are often the result of an identified need by a physical therapist. Muika was not impressed with the white strangers in his home and he let us know that right quickly so we left shortly after meeting him.

Abraham (age 8 though he looked about age 3-4). Abraham was a young boy who lived with his father. His mother died this winter of AIDs and he is now cared for by his sisters and father. He was extremely small for his age and had cerebral palsy and epilepsy. He was not receiving special education because he was not thought to be ready and there was little opportunity to get him there because of the long walk and lack of wheel chair.

Sylvia (age 2) When I saw Sylvia I was pleased to see that she seemed to be about the appropriate size for her age. Every other child I had seen on this day and others appeared to be about half the size I would expect for their developmental age. I was also so excited to see another child receiving home based education who was under the age of 7. It leaves me with such hope that the Ministry of Education and the Disability Service Organizations are beginning to understand the importance of early intervention for children with disabilities. From her appearance I would guess that Sylvia has Cornelia De Lange Syndrome. No one who was with us, teachers, physical therapists (physios), administrators knew what this disorder was. Sylvia appeared to be having many seizures while we were in her home, she appear to having a hearing problem, was pretty floppy and had microcephaly. At the end of the day I was able to get access to the internet and sent Mikala some information on Cornelia De Lange Syndrome. I am also hopeful that Syvia will be able to get medications for her seizures (Baulini has a program commitment to providing seizure medication).

We met and heard so many stories about children and adults with untreated seizures. One little boy was left at home alone while his parents were working and he had a seizure and fell into the fire and was severely burned all over his face. A friend of Mikala’s at church was kicked out of school at grade 7 because the teachers and children ran away when she had a seizure because they thought she was possessed – this woman never married and has been an outcast every since. Mikala says she is such a smart woman and her educational opportunities were squashed due to her seizure disorder.

Bruce (age 16) was at home with his older brother. He has received home based education for some time. Though not diagnosed, it was clear that Bruce had autism disorder. He was not in school because of his difficulty focusing on learning and his repetitive behaviors which sometime result in others being hit. His teacher began their lesson plan and Bruce was currently working on trying to hold a pencil and write a line within a picture. This seemed like an almost irrelevant thing to be teaching Bruce at the moment. There was so much need in the areas of communication, social interaction and life skills that needed attention. Not to mention increasing Bruce's ability to be interested in learning new things. The concepts of applied behavioral analysis and augmentative communication just are not known to the teachers. There is so much need to reform and build improved special education services here. Bruce could thrive with the right help.

(Boy age 7) This little boy we met was not yet in home based education. He was being screened and was meeting his teacher for the first time. He lived with his grandmother. His mother was a school teacher and had been assigned by the Ministry of Education to teach at a school some 400 km away. Because she was a new teacher she had to go to her assigned post and could not yet ask for a transfer. She had no one to care for her son when she was away teaching. Therefore it was left up to the grandmother to provide care. She used to carry him on her back to the physio clinic which was a very long walk and then bus ride. The grandmother was recently diagnosed with a heart condition and was simply unable to carry this boy on her back any longer. This is why he was being referred for home based education. One interesting aspect of this initial meeting (we’d call it an intake) was the description of the home based program and the very strong emphasis placed on the role of the family to provide education and support 6/7 days a week with the home based educator only there one day a week. The family was asked to commit several times to this program and to their role in the program.



Will post photos soon.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Sunday at the Reformed Church in Zambia




This morning Kelly and I went with Mikala again to her church service. This time we arrived on time and stayed the entire 3 hour service. While we could not understand the reverend it was fun to watch the children and women throughout the service. As always the music was spectacular. Kelly and I were introduced with other visitors and were mistaken for Catholic Sisters since we were visiting Mikala at Baulini Street Kids which is a Catholic supported program. The children loved the balloons and silly bands we brought for them after the service. An afternoon at the markets and then home for another meeting with the Ministry of Education who is very interested in trying to get a new college program going in Zambia for special education teachers. Time will tell, there is certainly great need.

Chawama Compound


Yesterday we went to Chawama Compound hoping that we’d be able to meet with the parent disability advocacy group that formed there a few years ago after we worked with Fr. Patrick (the parish preist at the time) to announce a meeting at the church. Unfortunately signals were corssed and the word was never spread that we were going to have a meeting with the group yesterday so it is rescheduled for tomorrow, late morning. As long as it gets announced, I have no doubt these parents will arrive.

I was however completely taken aback by the Chawama compound. This is a huge housing area in Lusaka with nothing but dirt roads and mostly very small housing structures made with cinder blocks, dirt floors and tin roofs made from scraps found here and there. Last time I was there we witnessed the burning down of a community block of vendors who have made make shift store fronts out of which they sold various goods. One day there were hundreds of vendors and the next day they were all burned to the ground. Two years later a SPAR grocery store, Bata shoe store and PEP exist in this same exact area. Also several bank ATM machines. I could not believe it and am not sure how I feel about it. I’d feel better about it if it were Zambians doing the development but it seems many South African store chains are coming into the country. Good? Bad? I am not sure. Just very different then two years ago.

As I am sitting here and writing this (at about 6:30am local time on Sunday) from a distance I am listening to a church choir sing. Outside the door the pigs are grunting, the turkeys squawking and the birds have many voices. Last night Casey came over and we played Scrabble together. His Mom (he refers to Mikala as his Mom – she is his Great Aunt and is raising Casey) stayed up half the night one day playing Scrabble on my iPad. I am preparing Casey to compete with Mikala and beat her at this game – he thinks that is funny.

Sustainable Social Services and Education





Baulini Street Kids Project is a multi service program that provides regular education to orphans, special education to children with disabilities, physical therapy, medication treatment, transitional and skills training as well as other services and supports to the community and families. It is truly a multi services and support organization. While it is partially supported by donors, the majority of its resources comes from self-sustaining activities. They receive no government support at all. Here is a partial listing of what they have built over the years to earn money to sustain their programs:
- raise pigs
- raise chickens
- banana fields
- brick making
- maize (corn) fields
- vegetable gardens (with every imaginable vegtable)
- bakery (sells bread and buns to local vendors and stores)
- feed store
- grocery store
- trade school makes scarves and hats that they knit on machines and sell to local shop keepers
- mushroom growing operation (this is very cool, they have three shack like houses and were taught by an NGO how to raise oyster mushrooms which they now grow and sell to the local grocery stores)
Business sense and social service sense are integrated at Baulini thorugh the leadership of Mikala. They will survive as needed even without any funding.

One of the focuses of our work over the past four years has been to develop a disability leadership team and to encourage and support networking across these organizations. Much good happens in each organization but initially there was no mechanism to share. As an example of the power of this sharing when we were at Cheshire Homes in Livingstone we met a group of Moms who came into the school twice a week to volunteer. They were taught how to make dolls and bags with recycled materials. These dolls are then sold in markets and through a connection in the United States. Mikala saw this activity and we had not been back in Lusaka at Baulini for more then a day before she had identified a person to learn to make the dolls and teach her PTA how to make them. The following day she secured her first outlet for sales at a local market in town. Entrepreneurialism is a celebrated must in this country and the leadership at Baulini and so many organizations here is definitely evident. Daily I think how little we do with so much in the U.S. for people with disabilities and how much they seem to be able to do with so little here in Zambia. There is much we can learn.

Rice Krispie Treats, S’Mores and Video Games – Universal Enjoyment


For the past two evenings we have been sharing with Mikala and the children she looks after about the ways in which we enjoy marshmallows. The first evening it was Rice Krispie treats and last night we made S’Mores. We had to improvise a bit. We used biscuits (round mildly sweet and flat cookies), a dark chocolate Lindt bar I brought from the states with chilis in it and pink and white marshmallows. Everyone enjoyed them so much we are headed back to pic-n-pay today to purchase some more. I suspect S’mores will become a nightly occurrence for our remaining nights in Zambia.

I also gave Casey (Mikala’s nieces child that she is raising who has a disability caused by untreated sickle cell anemia) the Nintendo DS that Jack sent with me to give to a child in Zambia. I was trying to figure out how to turn it on and finally Casey asked if he could try. Just like Jack, he picked it up and began playing it immediately with no instruction. I am not sure I understand the universality of these electronic games but they certainly are made for children because as an adult I never can figure out what you are supposed to do and Casey figured it out immediately and he had never even seen such a toy. He was sooooo incredibly thrilled to have this new toy and the two games that came with it.

Village Children with Complex Diseases

Mikala has been talking with us about the many children she sees through home based education that have challenges that no one has been able to help with in all of Zambia. It is so hard to listen to these stories and to know the enormous wealth and capacity within the U.S. We bought Mikala a flip video camera and have taught her how to use it and upload and e-mail the files. We are hopeful that she will be able to send us these files and we can find MDs to help us figure out what might possibly be going on with these children but more importantly what they might be able to do to help the children. To give you one example Mikala saw an almost 4 year old child in a village right before we got here. Mikala described this child’s condition as her “skin is melting.” We asked Mikala if the skin looked the same all over this child’s body or if it was just on the areas where the skin was exposed to the sun. Mikala called the home based education teacher and a few days later heard back that it is all over the child’s body. From Mikala’s description it sounds like it looks as if the skin is severely burned. The child’s mother rubs ashes onto the skin and into these wounds. Mikala says the child walks with an unusual gait because she feels the child is in a lot of pain. The child’s mother says that the village people believe that this disease is happening with the child because the mother must have stepped over a snake when she was pregnant. This belief is though of because the child’s skin is affected much like a snakes skin sheds.

Training Day at Baulini



Yesterday was filled with training for teachers from all of the special needs schools in the Lusaka area. Training at Baulini started with the school choir singing (the lead singer was absolutely amazing and the choir was integrated with children with disabilities and regular education students) and a short prayer. The teachers were an extremely attentive audience throughout the day. They had a lot of questions about autism and you could tell that they were thinking about children they taught and as the training progressed, the teacher were beginning to understand that these children likely have autism. They were able to share a lot of examples and descriptive behaviors related to autism and children in Zambia. We had a number of videos that we had taken in the village of a Zambian child and then also children in the U.S.

Jean presented portions of her Expanding the Circles curriculum and this went over extremely well. The portions were interactive and reflective and it was clear that the teachers were not used to learning in ways other then lecture. Jean also made them do a learning styles inventory and this also was a huge success. Matt topped off the training day with some information on the Convention for the Rights of People with Disabilities and the various ways in which it interfaces with special education.

More singing from the group and then the Minister of Education came and formally presented certificates to each participant. After the training there were many formalities and we spent time talking with the employees who were there form the Ministry of Education and several of the teachers. There is much interest in starting a new college program that has more specialization in areas such as autism, applied behavior analysis, occupational and physical therapy, speech therapy etc…. They are so hungry for information.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Rice Krispie Treats the Zambian Way



Mikala asked me to teach her how to make her favorite treat from her trip to the U.S. It took me a while to figure out what she was talking about but then I remembered - Rice Krispie Treats. We found Rice Krispies and pink and white marshmallows at the Pic N Pay and tonight was the lesson. They look a little funny because of the pink marshmallows but they taste the same. Mikala took the tray to share with her extended family. We have a few marshmallows leftover so tomorrow night we are going to teach her family about s'mores.

Policy Advocates

Our day today was spent listening to policy advocates in Zambia. We went to the Zambian Federation of Disability Organizations - ZAFOD. Check out their web site: http://www.zafod.org/ This group has made much progress in building a coalition of disability organizations and in litigation on behalf of individuals with disabilities. Their priorities now seem to be with transition and employment - much like in the U.S.

After that we went to visit ADD Zambia today only to learn that last week it was shut down and does not exist any longer. I went onto their website tonight and they still say they have a program in Zambia. Interesting.... Here is their web site: http://www.add.org.uk/zambia.asp

The last stop was at the government disability entity which is in charge of disability policy and runs "training farms" for people with disabilities. This organization was called Zambian Agency for Persons with Disabilities. This was also interesting as there is such a disconnect between what policy says and what actually exists on the ground. I suppose this is true in any country though it seems so much more profound here in Zambia because there is so much need. Here is their web site: http://www.zapdgov.org/

More later....

Livingstone - No Work Days




Livingstone (no work days)
Absolutely no work yesterday or today. The days were play days. You simply cannot come to Zambia and not go to the Livingstone area. We started day one with a trip to Victoria Falls. It is the time of year when the most water is flowing. There was so much power in the Falls. It is a true wonder of the world. If we had taken a shower we could not have gotten any more wet. The bridge walk is pretty far away from the actual falls but just walking across it we got soaking wet. You could hardly see the entire falls because there was mist blowing around. Luckily I was able to convince Kelly, Jean and Matt to go up in a micro-lite. Jean and Kelly thought it was awesome; Matt is still trying to balance fear with exhilaration. After the flights we went on a river cruise and saw a giant hippo completely outside of the water (I have to think this is unusual for this time of year). As always the African sunset was amazing on the Zambezi.

Day two we went over to Botswana on safari to the Chobe National Park. Jean got to see her giraffe up close and personal and we saw many amazing animals. Mikala saw a mongoose for the first time in her life. I actually thought the birds were the most amazing and just toward the end of the trip an eagle (their national bird) gave us quite a show. The trip across the Zambezi was an interesting experience. Because the river is at its highest, the big barges were not working well and the currents were so strong the one barge that was working was having a lot of trouble getting across – what should have taken twenty minutes was taking up to 2 hours. We actually crossed in a dingy boat and the white caps were pretty high. The most interesting thing was the line of semi-trucks awaiting to go over on the barge. Our guide told us the trucks sometimes sit for up to two weeks to be able to cross the river. On the Zambia side they were mostly carrying huge copper rocks and molasses. The lines on the Botswana side were equally as long.

The day ended with shopping at the market, a good cup of coffee (caffeine and full cream cappuccino) and then a great dinner at Charters outside in the courtyard (Bream, okra and curry).

Now we are ready for more work. Visits with policy advocates all day tomorrow, full day of training on Friday, Chawama advocacy group on Saturday and then a new week begins.

My head is spinning with thoughts of creating an interdisciplinary study abroad program at Beulini and the three outpost schools in the villages – everything is possible.

Cheshire Homes


Cheshire Homes
We arrived late in Livingstone after an 8 hour bus ride from Lusaka. The Sisters were awaiting our arrival at the guesthouse at Cheshire Homes. Monday morning the students arrived at the school. At this school the special needs children are provided transportation in a school van. I sat with amazement at the eagerness and interdependence these children showed at school. Once off the bus the children who walked went right up to the school building and came back to the van with the wheelchairs used by the children who were unable to walk. These children were assisted by their peers in getting out of the van and into their wheelchairs (they do not use their chairs in village because of the terrain). All were eager to be at school and ready to learn.

Cheshire Homes provides special education services to children who have physical and intellectual disabilities. Their donors, Touch Ireland, built a new structure that opened in 2007 and included a physio room. They are now beginning a new project to build a whirlpool. About 24 children are currently enrolled and attend the school. There is one teacher for all of these students, Evelyn Malumbe, who has been teaching at Cheshire Homes for many years. I met her the first trip I made to Livingstone before the school was finished. She attended training we delivered each year we have been in Livingstone. In addition to being a teacher for the school she provides home based education.

A women’s group also meets at the school. This group is made up of the mom’s of the children served by the school. A recent visitor taught them how to make dolls and bags from recycled products and cloth and they make these goods to sell as a benefit to the school. We have asked them to send us a box of dolls and we will try to sell as well. The parents are very committed to the school and appreciative of the efforts of the sisters and Evelyn. The teacher and sisters are appreciative of the Mom’s and they all work together to make the best for the children.

It is fun to see the progress of the school. With so little resource so progress has been made. Evelyn asked us to make sure we said hello to all from the University team who have spent time with the school and training teachers and families in Livingstone.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Chifwema Village School and Veronica




Yesterday we traveled an hour or so outside of Lusaka to the Chifwema Village. Mikala’s school, Beulini, provides outreach to three village schools including Chifwema. Once a quarter Mikala travels to each of these village schools to monitor their activities and offer support. The Head Master and one of the teachers at the school met us. They serve 450 students and have 10 unpaid volunteer teachers from the village – one classroom at the school is a special needs classroom and 5 children attend school in this classroom; 13 other children with special needs receive home based education where a teacher goes to the family home and assists the families with instructional ideas. For some children home based education is all that is possible because they are unable to make the physical journey walking to school (many children walk as much as 3 miles one way to get to school).

We walked to one of the family homes to meet a 14 year old child with autism who receives home based education. This was a remarkable experience. Veronica was completely included in her family home and her community. When Mikala first started helping the family Veronica’s mother would keep Veronica contained in a hut when she went to work in the fields, went to church or was away from the family home. Now Veronica has access to the village and the community embraces their responsibility of ensuring Veronica gets home to her family safely. She attends church and is now trying to go to the school classroom (instead of home based education). In very practical ways Veronica is being taught and her family has identified things that comfort her and assist her with learning (e.g. old plastic soda bottles with beans in it that rattle, kicking a plastic soda bottle to redirect behavior, pounding maze). We spent some time talking about strategies the family could use to teach her how to put on her own clothes and to teach her how to eat more then a two types of food. Simple suggestions such as using short word phrases instead of long drawn out explanations and requests (e.g. “Veronica up now,” “beans gone”) also how they could reinforce and shape desired behavior while eliminating undesired behavior. These were concepts that were knew to them but at the same time clearly they had figured many things out to get Veronica to learn new skills and be a part of her community.

Veronica has a couple of jobs. She pounds the maze to make their staple food enshima and she sweeps the area outside of their homes. She is extremely fond of her two older sisters and enjoys having her hair combed and braided – these are things she lets her family know that she wants and needs. One of the things we will develop for the family is a simple communication board. While Veronica seems to understand most words, she does not speak any words and communicates with gestures and sounds. A communication board may help her to learn how to express to her family what she wants.

What a wonderful opportunity to grow and learn from one another.

More later.

Amy and baby



Did that get your attention?!? We met this lovely little lady yesterday. Her name is Taisha and she is Mikala's great neice. Jean also had trouble putting her down. Early in the evening Amy, Mikala, and myself walked to the bus stop down the road to meet Kwanda, a special ed teacher who came in from Kwite. Ok I'm probably spelling that wrong. Kwanda was one of the visitors from Zambia we hosted at ICI last May. What was funnier was Amy and I carrying this cute little baby down a major Zambia highway. It was probably an interesting site.

I also included a picture of the actual "work", yes work we are doing here. We met with Kwanda and Mikala after dinner to talk about the assessment tools we brought. While they are not appropriate to bring and use in the villages at this time, we hope they will be helpful in the near future.

And speaking of visiting the village, we just got back after 3 hours total in the back of a pick up truck with a home made topper on the back to keep it extra toasty. It was an amazing experience, but we have to rest our bottoms for now and we'll share more soon.

All the best, Kelly

Friday, April 1, 2011

photos



Here we are! Holding our IPADS, we were desperate for an Internet connection and were standing in the front yard.

Day1

We arrived in Zambia late last night and our colleague Mikala was at the airport to greet us. Three hours of sleep later and we were up and ready fir a meeting at the Ministry of Education. It was great to see Grace Banda (who was a member of the first team trained at U of MN) but even greater to hear the new administrator talking about her leadership and the progressiveness of Mikela's program. Our conversation was focused mostly on encouraging transition with more formal focus and purpose, testing accommodation for special education children and the need for early intervention. We also discussed the need to better prepare teachers to provide support to special education students in inclusive classrooms. Joel Kamoko, District Board Secretary, at the Ministry of Education emphasized the need to teach life skills and he seemed very committed to supporting children with special needs. Mikala and Grace seem very positive about Joel's ideas.

We had lunch with Sandy and Father Patrick. It was fun to catch up and hear about their new project in Milawi.

Tonight is a quiet night at Beulini. We'll have dinner and singing with Mikala and her family then call it an early night. Tomorrow we are spending the day in Chitwema village and will meet with a few families who have children with autism then work with Mikala on autism assessment. Lookingnforward to it.

More later

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Zambia 2011

Greetings,
We are excited to share that at team from the University's Institute on Community Integration will be traveling to Zambia on March 30th. This trip promises to be an exciting one with some new faces included. Joining us on this journey will be myself, Jean Ness, Matt Schulelka, and Amy Hewitt. Our visit will focusing around providing training around Autism Spectrum Disorders in Lusaka and beyond. We look forward to sharing our journey with you. Stay tuned for more details! -Kelly