My Week in Mumias - Meet and Greet

I had wanted to come to Western Kenya because of the Mumias Educational Assessment Resource Center, which has the reputation of  being the best EARC in the country. Two Mumias EARC staff members - Martin (occupational therapist) and Simon (assessment teacher) - had attended the 4-day AAC/Assistive Technology workshop I had presented in Mombasa last year. I was so impressed with the questions and perceptive comments Martin asked, the obvious concern and affection both men had for the people they served, and their sense of dedication to their work; I knew I wanted to work with them if I returned to Kenya.

My roommate (more about her later) and I took a tuk-tuk to the EARC Monday morning with 3 heavy suitcases of donations we had brought. Everyone ooh-ed and ah-ed when the stacks of shoes, pants, shirts, splinting materials, OT, AAC and school supplies were spread across their conference table. Martin and Lillian, the orthopedic technician, were particularly appreciative of the 6" x 9" samples of splinting materials. I understood why when Martin showed me the bits and pieces of material they were currently relying on - many in the 3 to 5 inch range. A big thank you to Bill Schuhle of Patterson Medical, who donated the set of samples.

As I was introduced to the rest of the EARC staff, the reason for their exceptional reputation became clear. There is a culture of dedication and commitment that is supported and nurtured by director Martha Odhiambo. Team members are proactive in finding and serving children with disabilities and their families. They are supportive of each other and seamlessly filled in when one or more of their co-workers was out of the building. And all willingly step in to translate when needed.

I also finally got to meet speech and language therapists Rachael Gibson and David Rochus, who were going to be spending a few days with me in Mumias. Rachael is a volunteer therapist through VSO, which helps place and coordinate therapists in developing countries. She has been working at the EARC in Vihiga since last summer and coming to Mumias a few days a month (about 65 km away, but a 3-5 hour matatu ride). She's nearly done with her 1-year term and is planning a return to Kenya after a few months of travel in southern Africa and a 4-month return to the UK to raise funds for her second tour.

Also at the Vihiga EARC this past year has been David Rochus, a member of the first graduating class of the Speech and Language Therapy program at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Growing up in neighboring Uganda has provided David with invaluable insights into cultural norms and expectations in East Africa. David has applied to graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology in the UK and is waiting to hear about financial aid.