Giant Therapy Equipment Donation from England

Giant therapy equipment donation from England

Last September I received an email from an occupational therapist from England who had just been in Kenya and discovered the Gede School for children with disabilities (the first Kupenda supported school). She was inquiring as to how to get a lot of much needed therapy equipment to the school that Koffa, the occupational therapist there (funded by Kupenda) said they needed. After figuring out how to get through customs, shipping costs and all the other affiliated issues of sending large packages to Kenya, the shipment arrived in May. I was able to personally see how it was being used when I was in Kenya in July. The school is so grateful and the children are already benefiting as you can see. It is people like Clare that make such a difference. She spent so much time gathering the equipment, raising fund for the shipping costs and most of all being so patient as we tried to work through the red tape. Thanks from Kupenda, the school and most of all the children.

Cindy

Please read Clare’s story of discovering these special children and how she was able to help them directly……

Clare with the equipment being shipped to Kenya

Who would have thought that a 2 week holiday in Kenya would lead me to a school for disabled children with a sign on the wall which read “Occupational therapy is Genuine and authentic”. Most people have not heard about OT in England so to see it on the wall 6 thousand miles away from home was quite amazing.

Whilst walking in Watamu village I met a lady called Julie who I later discovered was a Social Worker from England who was in the process of building the “Indi school”.
When we discussed my work as an Occupational therapist she said I should visit the Gede school. She arranged a visit for me to the school with Rondo who works at the Indi school.
I spoke with Leonard (the Kenya director for Kupenda) and discovered what a wonderful place Gede school is. With such limited resources and funds, it was wonderful to see what they were able achieve.
I then met with Koffa, the Occupational therapist working at Gede single handedly. He gave me a list of all the equipment he needed and the challenge began!

With 20 years experience of working in Social Services assessing for equipment and 5 years with the Health Authority it got me thinking. In England a large amount of equipment is condemned purely because a new model is brought onto the market and the older equipment is then difficult to recycle, although there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. By contrast seeing the children on the “Kupenda” video showing so much strength and determination to manage with so little, I felt I had to do something.

I contacted Kent Social Services and the Maidstone Health Authority, wrote to churches friends and family for any toys blankets equipment for the disabled. I asked the school next door if they had anywhere I could store the equipment and in response they arranged for a container to be housed on site and as a charity donated £1000 pounds towards the cost of shipping; we were on our way. After hundreds of phone calls, trips to collect equipment, sponsored walks, runs etc. we were there. The container left England and after some very hairy moments at the Kenyan port and a lot of hard work from Koffa, the equipment finally arrived. The cheers from Julie, Koffa and some of the children at Gede school, made it all worth while. I have to say my instincts at the time were never again but who knows!!!! I would like to say special thanks to my husband, parents and Jill Sharpe, for convincing me that I could do this, to the Mc Guigans for the splinting equipment, my uncle Lawrence, The White Hart, the Archers, All saints Church in Whitstable and Loose and all my family and friends for there generous donations, without which it could not have happened.

Clare Fagg
Pediatric Occupational therapist

The truck with equipment  in England

Therapist and children using the equpment in Kenya