Isn’t it nice when you have high expectations for a day and it works out!
We took Meshak to see Joyce, the Papua New Guinea Physiotherapist at the local hospital. She was one of the first PNG physiotherapists and trained in Fiji. I had been impressed when visiting the department which I had done for some in service trainings she had organised.
Joyce is a natural handler of brain injured children with spasticity, it was a joy to watch her with the child, encouraging the mother, and talking to Angie the CBR worker.
In the past she has been involved in training our students and after today I will certainly try and involve her next year. And I will certainly encourage close working relations with our CBR team and the Physiotherapy department.
From the photos I hope you can see why I was so pleased with this session.

Meshak

With Joyce physio

Involving Mum

The chair

Trying the chair

Showing Mum

Relaxing with Mum

Home time

Well, another week has flown by.
Here, it’s coming towards the end of term, and the start of a month long summer holiday. Our students leave on Friday, as do the other students on campus. So soon life will get quieter.
This morning I was woken at 5 am by the most terrible wailing sound, which seemed to come from all over the campus. Sadly, one of the 20 year old female students had collapsed and died during the night, I think of cerebral malaria.

Tomorrow I will go with the CBR team and take our child with TB meningitis to the local physiotherapy department to see if they can help with some seating ideas.
(picture 1)The local SERC (Special Education Resource Centre) is sorting out their 5 year plans so I have sat in with them a bit. Have also got very dirty tiding out one of the store rooms where the shoes for the club feet children are stored. We are responsible here for the club foot shoe distribution across Papua New Guinea.
Next week I go with Jennifer up to Goroka, in the highlands (cooler), we will fly up on a MAF flight to see the community health worker school there. One of my jobs will be to write a CBR syllabus for these schools, at the moment I think it’s a 2 week course, but that may change.
Can I ask your prayers for 2 of our senior Papua New Guinea staff here. Both have recently been diagnosed with conditions needing operations. One, Sylvia, has a heart problem, and the other, Rose, has a 2.5cm cubed brain tumour, which can be operated on if she can get the money to go to Australia.

Well I have admitted defeat, and thanks to CBM, I am having an air conditioning unit put in one room in my house, nights are ok but during the day life can be uncomfortable, so I will have an air conditioned office to retreat to!
Photo 2 is of Ryan’s birthday (head of table, beside me), he is the other physiotherapist on site here, from the Philippines. It is taken inside his house which is similar to mine. Ryan works away 4 days a week at Maprick another town near by, but is around at weekends.

Pic 1 5 year planning

Ryan's birthday

On Thursday I went out for the morning with the CBR physical team. Saw one very sad 4 year old child, who had had TB meningitis a year ago, and was in full extensor spasm, if placed on his back, he touched the ground with heels and head only, bringing his head forward we could get him flexed, but finding a chair he can sit in is an ongoing challenge – all ideas welcome. I did spot a cloth chair with a hollow centre he could be placed in at the hospital, so next week will try to get him there to try that, which would have him in full flexion.
The second child was a child who had been treated for bilateral club feet. She is now one year old, and mum is compliant with the child wearing a brace, her feet are doing well, and now the child is standing strongly. I hope she will soon walk and so be able to wear the brace for night time only.
The third child 8 yrs old sadly had fallen a year ago through a road bridge (below) and had a C5 fracture, she has sensation to her nipple line, and some gross arm movement. The CBR worker bought her a corner seat – so she can sit up. Chair made with cardboard paper and flour paste. The child’s mum is lovely and devoted. Picture shows Angie, CBR worker, showing one of her brothers how he should play cards daily with her. We also explored with a wheelchair to see if it is possible to get her to attend the local school from March next year.

When out on these visits we usually stop for a drink, of fresh coconut from a lady sat in the shade beside the road. Though I have not mastered the technique with the long knife of opening a coconut, thankfully there are always a lot of willing volunteers to help.

The rest of the week has been with the students here, seeing how they are being taught about management. Proposal writing is next week. I am really impressed by the standards here; the management training has been so practical and well presented.

Child with C5 fracture

Mum showing stretches

ear screening

Smoking, sat on petrol

Church- The spirit house of the trinity

Trinity dove

Marcel & Patrick

landing

Green frog

Another week has flown by
I am feeling really at home in my bungalow, not too many unwanted insect type visitors.
I spent 2 days teaching the students. One was to get them into 3 groups to design and present a 40 min lesson, with the scenario that a school has never had a child with a major visual or hearing impairment, or a child using a wheelchair. Now one child was coming, so they were to talk to the other children about the sort of challenges the child would face and how they could help. It went really well and I think they enjoyed it. I certainly learnt a lot!

I also went down to the local physiotherapy department and attended an interesting talk on TB meningitis, which is sadly common here. We then went to see one 8 year old with it.
One great story this week: While on the island we met a week old baby with a club foot, taught mum some stretching exercises and told her she had to go urgently to Wewak physio for POP. Well she went….. and had done exercises so well that at hospital there were able to do tenotomy and plaster, so in 3 weeks time she can go straight into the Steiner braces – if only life was always that easy.

I also visited the new tribe’s base here, and had a fascinating introduction to their work translating the Bible in some of the local sepic languages.
I am also now the proud owner of a Papua New Guinea driving licence, so that is a good start.
Have also had a good week bird watching, and today – Sunday afternoon went with an Irish sister –(arrived back on Saturday) to the local beach which is a mixture of sand and coral reef – so I was in seventh heaven snorkelling around.

Hi, I’m still having new experiences every day – a green tree frog found on a toilet seat! – I found alternative loo…..
It’s been like United Nations here, great to get to know other Callan Services staff dotted around PNG, one from Nepal, Marcel from Netherlands (who appeared on TV programme recently some of you saw) Patrick from USA (soon to leave) and Ryan who is on the compound with me , he is a physio from the Philippines. Now all have gone – but fun having a hectic social life for a few days, though rain stopped us going to the beach.
I have done 2 days teaching the students, last week and this week which has been fun and lots of meetings with staff, getting to know and recognise them out of context!
Also this week I will start driving, and am going to the local hospital to meet the physios and hear a talk on Cerebral TB, which seems to be a bad problem.
Wednesday I meet with Kevin on a 1-1 so hopefully will know a bit more what is planned for next few months.

Sunday I went to the centre English speaking Catholic Church – it was mission Sunday so appropriate, and sang lots of hymns I know, the service was similar to the Anglican, so ok.
I spent today opening a bank account – took most of day, but successful. And God protected me from a pick pocket who I stopped just in time. One lesson learnt for me!
I spent the rest of the day meeting people, asking questions and listening. I am slowly putting names to faces and sorting structures.
Pat Moon, the Physio from the highland area, arrives tomorrow so that will be nice, he leaves CBM in November, but is staying on in PNG as a volunteer till January, so that shows how he feels about the place.
My house is lovely, it’s a bungalow, with hot and cold running water, and a twin tub for washing – luxury- I usually do it by hand when out of UK. There is a nice house of girls opposite me who are really friendly and helpful. All the boxes I sent ahead with parcel force have arrived so that is great news and am all unpacked.
It’s certainly hot and has rained heavily every day so far – glad I have an umbrella!
This weekend, Friday and Saturday we have big planning meetings for our roles and visits next year – so your prayers will be appreciated.

Hi, just to say I am safely back from a fantastic island trip.
A few adventures, like falling through the floor of a toilet (6 feet over a beach), jumping out of a boat waist deep in choppy seas and loosing a toe nail, but survived and happy.
It was a fascinating trip with 11 students, going to villages (first ever for 4 villages) and schools, doing ear and eye screening and treating those with physical problems. Found one baby with a club foot and a lady with high level paraplegia, lots of children with Down’s Syndrome and gave back and knee classes – so a good time had by all. Some work needs to be done to link more with communities and follow through after screening, but I am impressed with the dedication, hard work and ability of the Callan Services staff.
Photos are great but internet terrible, so please, no attachments.

Have safely arrived in Port Moresby. Met by Brother charlie and Brother Kevin. Had a few hours sleep. on to Wewak later today.