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Some thoughts from Sylvia Thompson
Written by Administrator Monday, 05 March 2012 20:08
Some thoughts …
following my 1st visit to Peru Children’s Charity in Las Lomas on 10 Feb 2012
I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit and my impressions that follow are those
of what I saw & experienced during my short few hours on a Friday afternoon.
Arrival & Introduction.
Though in Lima for 4 months I was still fairly overwhelmed at the journey into the Centre from Puente Piedra, we came in by taxi from the “main” road. Las Lomas means hills or hillocks but this means in reality… dusty brown hillocks mostly devoid of any vegetation.As we passed one area where the dusty brown soil is being excavated for a non-local cement factory we came through clouds of dust adding to the existing dust. Houses were basic, Michael called them ‘shacks’, and they stretched away up and down the hills. Then we swung into the right & came to a stop outside the centre called the ‘Centro de Terapia’. This building looked different as indeed it was! A small group was at the door, it turned out they were from another area looking for a therapy service, so Michael had to attend to that later.
We stepped into another world ….calm, tranquil, peaceful, welcoming, friendly, clean, bright, spacious and thus began my little introductory tour. I met the woman administrator & those she was talking to. I peeped into the room for the Terapia de Lenguaje,(Speech & Language Therapy/SLT) into the Occupational Therapy room where we met Carina, a young physiotherapist/PT working one to one on hand function (hand prints/painting) possibly more like Occupational Therapy/OT. The room had a number of materials as did the SLT room, the usual cuadernos, the Kiddy’s House cube etc. Michael said Carina prefers to work alone on a one to one basis. Then down the wide corridor to a big central area where a group of adults & young people were gathered all making key fobs (I think that’s what they are called). Again all was calm & relaxed…onwards & into the physio room via a short path outside ..there a young adult was being helped to do a big back extension over a big physio ball. This lead to a great long chat with the physio & his “patient”, both I think called Luis. Michael explained that this young lad was one of the first attenders & was now getting ready to start in an accelerated learning programme (M. had told me about him on the extended bus journey from Lima). The PT was keen to chat about the Bobath approach to the treatment of Cerebral Palsy and many other aspects. The young lad comes daily for his therapy & will continue to do after starting school so as his school programme will be at the w/e’s. I also promised to share a potentially useful text (home programmes with diagrams etc).The PT will make a visit to the school to check for wheelchair access before the start of school & discuss his patients need for support with notetaking eg he may get copies of the notes from the teacher as his speed of writing is slower than average. This lad put on his own socks & shoes & later I saw him also making the key fobs so his hand function is adequate for functional activities. He is a wheelchair user but walks with the aid of his chair up the ramp to his house (at least that’s what I understood) He also said he can use his chair in his house. He has contractures at most joints so I queried if he used orthoses of any kind, he does not. He said he has no joint pain, but I would be a bit anxious for the future eg possible benefits of a hand splint for night time?
The last of my time was spent with the group in the big room around a big table. Francis had made a fob for me with my name (spelled the Peruvian way…Silvia). I gradually got to know them all. Ricky Martin who I was told did not know how to write but was certainly able to copy some words with assistance. Francis who is deaf, but did not have a hearing aid, was obviously bright, but does not have speech & only a few signs. But he beat me hands down at the ‘join the dots’ game. I was invited to have a game of chess but this lad realised my lack of skill so recruited another lad/Jean Carlos? to show me. Jean Carlos was also working on a 500 piece jigsaw of Westminster, at another table/counter but said he also likes ones of 1000 & 1500 pieces.
The young people came and went to their therapies from this central table.
I introduced them to the Nosey cup & made one from a plastic bottle. We also discussed the security of the building. But I also heard of the glass breaking incident of a large picture before our arrival so there can be non-tranquil/ “other” moments here too!
The 2 assistants encouraged my return with other activities & I agreed to make a return visit.
As we made our return journey first by mototaxi & then in the combi we travelled together with Ricky Martin and his mother & a friend with a new seat to allow Ricky to sit up in bed. Ricky (about 12) has Muscular Dystrophy & Michael explained he’s probably in the last stages of walking and their house is one of the many ‘shacks’ scattered among the hills.
My sense is that the name Centro de Terapia is possibly an understatement. Other names came to mind: Oasis, Haven, Our Place, because the whole place is therapeutic in its most wholistic sense.
Buena Suerte .
Sylvia
Sylvia Thompson mob 987816651 (Claro)
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New Therapy Centre
January 2011
During my Community work visiting families during the first 3 years, I got to know more and more people in these communities it became clear to me that there were a lot of Children with “Special Needs” in the area, we actually built a small house for two families with kids who had disabilities,
I then began to seek out more of these children as they seem to be kept hidden by their families. Memories of Ireland in the 50’s..!
I began to take care of some of these kids with Medication and Food, and in some cases we brought them to hospital for attention
Then I brought some to the Cinema for an outing on a few occasions
I then thought , how nice it would be if they had a place to spend some time maybe a few afternoons each week, somewhere they could meet other kids in a similar situation as themselves, somewhere thy could spend time outside of their home which was usually little more then a Hut made from Plastic and bamboo weave sheets.
So in May 2008 we were given temporary use of a building which we converted into a small Therapy Centre, with a shower and Toilet, a small Therapy room, a small Kitchen and an Activity room 65 sq, metres in total
We opened with 5 kids and young people.
Luis Alberto, Solin, Diego, Vanessa, and Camucha
Since then it has taken on a life of its own and developed to where we are now with more than 30 children and young people, attending regularly, and another six to eight young people who do not attend regularly buy are still supported by the centre. The Centre is very much owned by the Kids and young people, it has developed as their needs required it to, and we let it develop as the needs demanded
The kids and young people spend Two to Three, afternoons each week in the centre
Doing activities which helps their Disabilities, and having some Physiotherapy, sometimes singing some times dancing even on walking frames…!
We take them on outings regularly, to the Zoo, the Beach, and the Water Park in the centre of Lima or on Picnics.
The Families have their own support group and they meet on the last Friday of each month, and they have a valuable input into what happens in the Centre, and how it is run.
We are now looking forward to opening our very own Centre in February 2011.
Completely designed with these Special Children and Young People in mind, and according to their needs.
Volunteers Wanted To Work in Lima For 2 Weeks to 3 Months
Written by Administrator Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:20
We are looking for volunteers to work in our therapy centre for children and young people with disabilities in a shanty town in lima, no particular skills are required, just the desire to help these “special “children and young people have a better quality of life.
Duties will include: reading with the children, painting, and drawing, doing puzzles, playing games, assisting the staff when the children and young people go on outings.
Accommodation can be arranged in certain circumstances.