DILOKONG HOSPITAL, LIMPOPO PROVINCE
Dilokong Hospital was chosen as one of the new sites for Malamulele Onward for 2007, as the therapy staff at this Hospital run a CP Clinic once a month, and the Occupational Therapist in charge of the Department is NDT trained and was a Malamulele Onward volunteer in 2006.

The screening of the children for this visit took place from 17 – 20 September 2007. Four NDT therapists, Joy Mathye from Malamulele Hospital, Nomsa Masiane from Dilokong Hospital, Nolubeko Xuma, a clinical director from Limpopo, and Estelle Brown from Johannesburg, assessed and screened the children for suitability for the intervention programme. Lydia Ngwana, our fieldworker and mother of child with CP from Orange Farm near Johannesburg interviewed the mothers and led the focus group discussion. 36 children arrived for screening, of which 32 were chosen to partake in the intervention programme.

Intervention took place from 12 – 16 November 2007. The team consisted of two Speech and Language therapists (Philippa Glogauer; Jhb and Kirsty Nourse; Durban), three Occupational therapists (Leny Loock; Nelspruit, Veda da Silva; Jhb. and Joy Matye; Malamulele and four Physiotherapists (Andrea Aldridge; Jhb, Mindy Silva; Jhb, Claire Hochfield; Jhb. and Estelle Brown; Jhb). The team was also joined by two therapists doing their community service year: Sally Gush (PT) and Estie Breitenbach (OT) from Mpumulanga Province. Also from Malamulele came two Community Based Rehabilitation Workers (both also Occupational Therapy Technicians) who have been with us since the first Malamulele visit: Patson Chauke and Andrew Shivure. From Dilokong Hospital we were helped with translation, photography and general running around by Gregory, the physiotherapist, Moretegi and Mabel (Occupational Therapy Assistants) and Elizabeth (Physiotherapy Assistants).

Twenty-seven children arrived for therapy during the intervention week. They were given daily therapy. The mothers were trained in handling, feeding, communication and home activity programmes, and all the children were issued with the equipment they needed viz. standing boxes, long-sitters, buggies, blocks, benches, wedges, cardboard seats and tables and soft and hard splints for extremities. A noticeable change happened overall and the mothers were very grateful and happy after the visit, and also for all the clothes and toys that were so generously donated by Johannesburg parents of children with Cerebral Palsy.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Barbara Harrison, Tara Seon and Nazreen Garda and the International Development and Relief Foundation for raising the funds for this project.

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