While BRO teams are striving to complete the excavation and tunnelling works which will allow (in 2015 ?) to avoid the dangerous road over Rohtang pass and create an all-weather route to Leh and Lahaul-and-Spiti valleys, Christelle is delivering in the message below the result of the Handimachal team’s more modest tunnel programme – but I would say that we all have different scale challenges!  We are happy to inform our friends and former volunteers around the world that the attendance of families in the Unit is still high and that the three-year long efforts seem to be « paying » at last…

"In one of our previous messages, we were announcing that we were working on the construction of a tunnel… and it is now complete.  Kirna very nicely stiched together three laundry baskets (yes indeed !) to make a long soft tunnel:  with creative ideas and very little equipment it is indeed possible to achieve great things.

Now children will fully benefit this small tunnel, the objective of which is to motivate them to move on all-four, crawl and consequently adopt new movement patterns. 

Our team is very happy about the outcome of this tunnel project."

Christelle Pettazzi

My last days in the Handimachal Unit have come far sooner then I imagined. The last few weeks have been a time of change and growth for the Unit and the increased numbers of children attending have kept our days busy. We welcomed our permanent OT Shruti and the next OT volunteer Alycia, arrived on Thursday. We have also welcomed Vikash as a temporary team member whilst our regularly Physio Mayur is busy getting married! This had added new dimensions to our team and filled our Unit with new ideas and voices. Having an Indian (and Hindi speaking) OT in the team offers so much more opportunity to have the discussions and interactions with kids and their families that I could only dream of having. Ultimately, it would be wonderful to see a wholly Indian team running the project but fresh ideas from overseas volunteers provide much needed energy and current, best practice.

This week I have been able to reflect on my time here and have been pleasantly surprised by the improvements and changes in some of the children that I have had the pleasure of working with. One young boy Christelle and I have been working with together is Karan. Karan spent his first two sessions at Handimachal inconsolable in his mother’s arms. Gradually he got into the swing, we were lucky enough to get some smiles and on the 5th visit, he was independently exploring some toys around him for the first time. He even joined in a game of passing a ball with Christelle and I! Karan has been a great example of ‘slowly, slowly’ and gentle persistence by the therapists and his mother. These small successes remind me of why I love being an OT and working within an energetic team. 

My time in Handimachal and living in Kullu have been both challenging and rewarding, I will keep fond memories of the people I have met and the children and families I have worked with. I hope to return to the valley one day soon – when the apples are out and the sun shines everyday!

Siobhan O’Connor

Occupational Therapist

21^st April, 2012

Siobhan O'Connor's farewell party,
gathering some of our young patients and their families

Thank you so much Siobhan for your valuable contribution to our project!

And yes, the attendance by children and families was quite extraordinary this week:  12 young patients on Tuesday, 9 on Wednesday, 16 on Friday (!), 8 on Saturday, without forgetting 6 children during home-visits in Naggar on Thursday and 9 children assessed and treated in Manali in the previous week - yes indeed, things seem to be changing at the moment, which means it is also time for us to increase our services both in Kullu and in Manali!

Dominique

And now a few words from Christelle (French volunteer for adapted physical activities)

It’s been more than one month and a half already since I reached Kullu (how time flies by!):  more and more children visit the Handimachal Unit for their respective rehabilitation programmes.  My role is to involve some of these children in adapted physical activities (APA).

The purpose of APA and sports in the Handimachal Unit is to reveal the child’s capabilities instead of focussing on his or her impairments.  APA programmes are not designed to bring a sports challenge to the child but as a mean to motivate the child to move in space and use his or her body in order to better know his/her capabilities. By creating a playful and pleasant atmosphere and by using whatever equipment available in the Unit (balls, balloons, gymball and various games), I encourage the child to discover his/her body by motivating natural movements he or she would not dare to do in everyday life.

Therapeutic treatments are mainly carried out individually but I try to work in close cooperation with our occupational therapists and whenever possible with two or three children at the same time.  I consider that group dynamics is important and plays an essential role in the development and socialization of the child, by allowing him to interact with others.

One challenge in my work is that I very often have to use my improvisation, adaptation and creativity skills – but playing and having fun with the kid is sufficient to bring happiness to both of us !

A typical example of APA therapy, with Abhishek, a 10 year old boy with a severe locomotor disability:  Abhishek presents a high degree of muscular dystrophy but he can understand everything.  During sessions with Abhishek, I try to provoke him to do voluntary moves, using simple verbal commands such as requesting him to hit the ball close to him.  And in spite of his joint and muscular stiffness, Abhishek shows quite a good response and activity.

Christelle Pettazzi

It is hard to believe that almost five weeks have passed since I arrived in my adopted ‘home town’ of Kullu. Since the beginning of February I have been learning about the great work done in the Handimachal Unit as well as endeavoring to meet the children and families that come to the Unit.

Again and again I am amazed at the dedication of mother, fathers, grandparents and siblings who travel long distances, and at the moment in poor weather, to bring the kids to the unit. It is not easy to raise a child with a disability in India, and these families are giving their kids the best chance they can to lead meaningful, functional and independent lives. I have also had the pleasure of meeting many children and their families on our home visits to Manali and Naggar. On my first few visits we were greeted with a thick blanket of snow – and on one occasion carried on by foot (for only a short while) – and thankfully many a warming cup of chai.

Working as on Occupational Therapist here in Kullu is worlds away from my previous job in a busy metropolitan city in Australia. Being here reminds me to go back to the core of my OT training and encourages me to be more creative, yet practical, each day. This means taking advantage of the environment around me – especially the play ground out the front of the Unit – and the things that are usually found in homes, schools and shops. One great example of this is the tremendous work of the teachers at Nav Chetna School, a school for children with an intellectual disability. Supported by the Parents Association, these children are taught in the corridors of a hostel as they wait for their much anticipated new school to be built. The very cool weather does not deter them or their smiles and the friendly ‘Namaste’ that greets me on each visit. I was honoured to attend a sports day there recently where the children participated in a brilliant game of Bocce. The encouragement and inclusion of all children was a delight to behold.

This experience has already shown me the wonders and generosity of India and its people. Meals with my neighbours (my Punjabi ‘family’), friendly banter at the sweet shop as I check the cricket score and a very warm welcome from the team despite the freezing cold weather, have all ensured that this will be an experience of a lifetime. Let's just hope the sun shines on us, and the families that visit the Unit!

Siobhan O’Connor

Occupational Therapist

9^th March, 2012