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‘ClayWorks Zambia’ Transforming the lives of children with disabilities through clay therapy Please see our short video with our plans! www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cx2O-bi8zg The problem The psychological needs of children with disabilities are often overlooked and this is especially the case in places such as Zambia where knowledge and resources in special needs schools are very limited, and where disability carries a social stigma. If the psychological needs of these children are unaddressed the impacts of physical or sensory disabilities can be severely exacerbated: When a child’s thoughts and feelings are not understood and responded to by adults, they experience isolation and exclusion, resulting in a dampening of spirit, loss of hope and distress. This may show itself in quiet withdrawal or ‘difficult’ behaviours; reduces their capacity to live life; experience joy, play, learn and make friends. The intervention Training special needs teachers through the one-week ClayWorks practical course designed by Zambia Therapeutic Art is one way to practically and efficiently address this problem. Once special education teachers are trained, they will be able to use these interactive ClayWorks therapeutic skills immediately with children at school. Through engaging in ClayWorks therapeutic methods, children with disabilities will be better able to find their individual voices and feel better understood and less isolated; increase capacities to play and learn and interact positively with those around them. Overall goal The ClayWorks project seeks to improve the psychological and spiritual wellbeing of children with disabilities and foster their better inclusion in Zambian society. Anticipated outcomes
Why use clay therapeutically in Zambia? ZTA trainers are all qualified Art Psychotherapists in Scotland and have been successfully delivering Therapeutic Art training courses in Zambia since 2015.Their small operational team, works with commitment and compassion to improve the lives of people who are cast aside in society through poor mental health or disability. ZTA is currently building its training programmes in response to the strong evidence for the therapeutic benefits of using clay and in its suitability in the Zambian context. The lead trainer for this ClayWorks course is a specialist in the use of clay therapeutically and is using these skills with disadvantaged young people in her current role in the NHS. Clay is a material that can be calming and can also be used to express a full range of emotions as well as motor skills development and interactive communication and fun with peers. Playing with clay is possible for most children with disabilities and many can use it creatively to make objects. In Zambia clay is available locally, mostly for free, so it is an ideal resource for this context. Why locate the training in Eastern Province? Pamodzi Ndi Ana (PNA) (meaning ‘for every child’) is a Zambian Non-Governmental Organization in Eastern Province. It has a long history of collaboration with international NGOs and local Zambian entities, committed to improving the living conditions of children through various interventions such as wheelchair distributions, construction, and skills trainings. This ZTA project will draw on its very positive experiences of working with PNA leveraging on their local knowledge of the special needs units and educational systems and their local facility which can be used for training. The project will focus on further upskilling 16 special needs teachers who have already, through PNA’s collaboration with ZTA, completed the basic ZTA Children and Young People Course. These teachers have had some basic training from ZTA on therapeutic art with children and young people and know how it can open up and enable their pupils: They are very enthusiastic to build on their skills. They will be trained in new skills specifically using clay therapeutically to foster communication and understanding, thereby increasing belonging and inclusion. They will better understand the children as precious people with thoughts and feelings, and the children will feel understood, more included and recognised for who they are. Why emphasise preparation with schools and online follow up post training? ZTA knows that its courses need to be safe, delivered by professionals and evidence based, and sustainable. ZTA has learned from its Zambian trainees over the years, that a training course needs to be complemented by follow up support and engagement with institutions if the use of skills is to be maintained. To ensure skills learned are embedded in schools, liaison with head teachers and follow up online mentoring for participating teachers will be integral to the project. The current tried and tested ZTA Mentoring Programme will utilise ZTA’s local Zambian Therapeutic Art mentors. Further, evaluation of the project will feed into the Ministry of Education for Special Needs to support why and how ClayWorks methods can best be embedded in the future curricula for all schools across Zambia. .
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ZTA goes digital; first steps in using Therapeutic Art to support children living with HIV6/23/2021 Author: Diana Mintal The workshop is ZTA’s first training programme delivered remotely and was initiated so that ZTA’s work could keep going despite the current Covid-19 restrictions, which prevented ZTA trainers travelling to Zambia. Lesley and Joanna from ZTA met with lead personnel from the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) in 2020 to discuss how the Zambia Therapeutic Art method may be incorporated into programmes for children living with HIV. This initiative is in line with ZTA’s objective to explore the effectiveness of Therapeutic Art with different client groups in Zambia. A taster workshop for health professionals and peer counsellors from CIDRZ was proposed as a first step. As travel restrictions meant this could not be done in person by ZTA trainers, an online workshop was proposed. A workshop planning group consisting of trainers from both the ZTA and Zambian based therapeutic art teams worked with CIDRZ.
As part of the Capacity Building programme for 20/21 ZART are being supported by Challenges Zambia to develop as a business. Registration as a Not for Profit organisation is being completed and they have adopted the name Therapeutic Art Zambia (TAZ). We will get more details from them as the work progresses.
With increased manpower in the form of new trustees and researchers, ZTA is in a position to bring in some dedicated sub-groupings. The Board is still the body with overall responsibility for ZTA in all its aspects and functions.
Operational Group: this the name given to those of us who have direct experience of the work in Zambia and are all registered Art Therapists. They are responsible for liaising directly with Zambian colleagues and updating the full Board. Currently Simon, Lesley, Liz and Joanna Fundraising Group: Vera, Caroline and Simon Research Group. Lesley, Sheena and Louisa. Digital Group. Scott, James and Simon. MEL. Jamie and Lesley. A warm welcome to our new trustees, Caroline Buckland and Jamie Dale. In response to the advertisement posted on Good Moves Jamie and Caroline have joined the Board. They bring a range of very relevant skills and experience and are already contributing to helping us navigate these uncertain times and shape the plans for the coming years.
We are looking for new trustees to strengthen our board. These are unpaid voluntary positions. For more information please see our advertisement at https://goodmoves.com. The closing date for applications is 30th September 2020.
CORRA Foundation granted ZTA £500.0 as part of their micro grant scheme in response to the COVID 19 outbreak. This is being used to enable electronic communication for ZART. In addition, Micro Hubs have been purchased for the team.
Following the successful workshops run with ZART in 2019 Challenges Zambia using funds from the Access Africa Programme, completed research into the potential markets for both the training and practice of Therapeutic Art and appropriate mechanisms for delivery.
The ZTA Course delivered by Monica and Kestone to Msc students at University Training Hospital, (UTH) Lusaka. Lesley and Joanna were in Lusaka completing the work for the Capacity Building year. Lesley delivered Safeguarding Training to ZART.
The Psychology Association of Zambia (PAZ) delivered a three-day training in writing of case studies to 10 Therapeutic Art practitioners. ZTA awarded a Capacity Building Grant from the Scottish Government Small Grant Scheme. Aims are to continue working towards sustainability with ZART and other stakeholders and to strengthen the evidence base through data gathering and case study publication.
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AuthorNews from the ZTA and TAZ teams in Scotland and Zambia. Archives
June 2021
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