One week in.

And quite a week! It has been really good meeting again so many people, friends from before and new people interested in what we are doing and wanting to join in. Meeting the new trainees both at UTH and at Chainama Hospital is always fascinating. They are so prepared to share their responses and experience and we learn so much from them.
We are working with three great ex trainees who are shadowing us this year to help us look at how the first stage of Training of Trainers can be shaped and already in the first week they have contributed new ideas.
The OT department at Chainama is familiar territory now and we were made welcome and furniture and the technology was all provided. It was great during our first practical session with patients to see 19 people all working completely silently absorbed in their art making.
Today we have met again with MHUNZA and ZAFOD, two key psycho-social, intellectual and physical disabilities rights organisations to learn more about their current work and update them on our plans.
Life at Gossner continues to be peaceful and refreshing. I have not been here before when everything has been so green and lush - it is all very different from the baking heat of my last visit. I am writing this listening to the steady fall of rain on the veranda and dripping off the leaves.
We have managed to feed and entertain ourselves after work but I think I speak for all of us when I say this first week though productive and encouraging has left us pretty tired every evening.

Author: Joanna