Division of Health Sciences
Renee Caon with some of the clients she was able to help in Egypt. |
My adventure started about this time last year, when I was browsing
through the Winter 07 OT Program News and an article by Sue Hartshorne
caught my eye. Sue had been a lecturer at UniSA until she visited Cairo to
write her thesis and became so captivated with the city and its people that
she relocated there.
Now, I wouldn’t say that I am a particularly brave or adventurous person,
and while I may have fantasised about working in developing countries, I
didn’t think that I had the confidence or ability to follow this dream.
However, something in Sue’s article inspired me. A brief email to Sue
Gilbert-Hunt turned into correspondence with Sue Hartshorne, and before I
knew it I was in Egypt!
I spent a total of 6 weeks as a volunteer in Egypt, and it was just amazing.
Such a contrast to Adelaide! For a start, the city of Cairo has a population
close to that of all of Australia. It was chaotic, polluted, at times
intimidating, and my whole life flashed before my eyes each time I had to
cross traffic. It was also vibrant, historic, atmospheric and culturally
diverse, and I can see how Sue fell in love with the place.
Although I was away from many things that I was used to at home – family,
friends, familiar surroundings, the English language… - Sue and her Egyptian
friends became like a second family to me.
While I was in Cairo I stayed in my own apartment close to the El Agouza
Rehabilitation and Rheumatology Centre where Sue worked. A typical day might
involve being driven to the hospital by Sue’s friends (grabbing some falafel
for breakfast on the way), joining in with the children’s playgroup in the
morning, participating in seeing private clients in the afternoon for
assessment or treatment, plus dealing with a multitude of spontaneous
occurrences throughout the day! Then it would be back to Sue’s friends shop
with an evening off to relax, explore, or do some research at the local
internet café.
As time progressed I became more involved and spent more time with clients,
participating in a hand clinic, playgroup sessions and autism workshops both
at the hospital and in a village. All of this was made even more interesting
by the language barrier and scarce availability of translators!
Occupational therapy is still very much in the developing stage in Egypt. As
far as I am aware there were only 8 fully qualified, practicing OT’s in the
country while I was there. It is exciting to think about the potential for
development of OT over there and the difference that a few people can make.
Even as a student volunteer I felt as though I had a lot to offer. It felt
great to be using the set of skills that I have been learning over the past
3 years with people who might not be receiving therapy otherwise. My trip
has really made me appreciate the set of skills and knowledge that we as
OT’s have: we are valuable, and we have the potential to make a huge impact
on people’s quality of life.
Fundraising efforts before I left raised $1500, to be spent on occupational
therapy supplies for the hospital. Staff at the hospital were just blown
away with what we were able to provide. It was a pretty special feeling to
be able to identify a need and then to actually be able to go out and buy
something to address it. It was even more rewarding to be with clients who
were using items purchased with fundraising money. A big thank you to
everyone who donated.
After 6 weeks it was time for a teary goodbye as I said farewell to people
who had become a big part of my life in such a short time. I have many
special memories from my trip and I still keep in regular contact with Sue,
who updates me on daily events. This trip has opened my eyes to some of the
amazing opportunities that await all of us students as we graduate into the
big wide world, and I hope to return to Cairo again for my final placement
or as a new graduate!
