In this issue of your newsletter
Changing Perceptions 47th Edition
Swings and Round-abouts Thank you Nielson Important dates Diary of a CP 20-something Annual National Cerebral Palsy Conference
July 2013
Reunion School opened its doors in April 1994 and caters specifically for Cerebral Palsied children of all population groups. Pupils from across the region are accommodated, from as far south as Weza and as far north as Nongoma. Reunion School is the only Cerebral Palsy school in the world that offers Education, Skills Training and Therapy in their mother tongue – ZULU. In 2004 our Association was blessed when THE VICTOR DAITZ FOUNDATION donated the money to build eight new state-of-the-art classrooms, a 66 bed fully equipped hostel, dining hall and large equipped kitchen for our school. When the need arose to facilitate Autistic children, The Victor Daitz Foundation did not hesitate and once again offered their overwhelming sponsorship of a Autistic Unit comprising of 3 classrooms. At the official opening of this much needed facility, Mrs Makhaye, Principal of the Reunion School, shared; “For the 173 pupils who attend Reunion - most of whom are boarders – what you see here today, is, to our children, much more than just a school - it's where our special learners live and learn...” A delightful audience was entertained by our precious children, who all wore their beautiful bandanas with much pride whilst performing their THANK YOU songs to the donors. Each learner received a lovely gift and their favourite midday meal. All invited guests toured the facilities and were in awe of the work achieved by The KZN Cerebral Palsy “The true meaning of life Association successfully completing a much needed is to plant trees, development at this unique, under whose shade you do Reunion School.
not expect to sit” ~Nelson Henderson~
Thank you to The Victor Daitz Foundation
P O Box 10213 Ashwood 3605 Telephone: +27 (0)31 700 3956 Facsimile: +27 (0)866 153 913 Email: info@kzncerebralpalsy.co.za Website: www.kzncerebralpalsy.org.za Our Association is a registered Non-Profit (002-154 NPO) and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO 930000042) with Section 18A Tax Exemption status.
Page 2 play. These specially constructed wheelchair’
friendly items make it possible for them to join in at last! In his address, CEO of Gold Reef Chemicals, Mr Desmond Beemiah, quoted Mahatma Ghandi in saying:
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
There was unbelievable
Gold Reef are long time supporters of Reunion School, who have made many changes possible over the years. On behalf of the precious little ones we care for, the KZN Cerebral Palsy Association would like to say a huge:
excitement at
Reunion School recently with the handover of specialised playground equipment by Gold Reef Speciality Chemicals in association with HCI Foundation.
“THANK YOU”
All children love to play on swings, see-saws and roundabouts. But for a child who is confined to a wheelchair, the fun is usually restricted to watching other children
09 August National Women’s Day 13 August KZN Cerebral Palsy Association’s AGM
“There can be no keener
07 September Browns’ School Fete 21 September Pevensey Place’s Fete
revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children” ~Nelson Mandela~
Volunteers from the Nielsen La Lucia and Pietermaritzburg offices arrived with car loads of gifts, linen, grocery items, fruit, cleaning materials and more. One of our learners, Mthobisi Msomi, received a brand new and bigger wheelchair to make him more comfortable. After performing a few well-rehearsed songs and dances to say ‘thank you’ to their benefactors, the children were treated to a mini disco, and they jived the morning away. It was a day to remember, and receiving their goody bags full of treats and balloons was the exciting cherry on the top.
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“Every sunrise is an invitation for
As always, it was a fabulous treat when
us to arise
Bronwen comes out
and brighten
for a visit from America.
someone’s day” ~Richelle E. Goodrich ~
Diary of a Cerebral Palsied Twenty-something Diary no. 44 by Penny de Vries
Strange as it may seem, Julia often forgets she has a disability that limits her. As do
we all. We have come to see the person, not the disability. Sometimes, incidents occur that shock her back into reality. One of the things that highlights this is when she realises she is not in control. Perhaps those of us who are sensitive to this make an effort to give her the time to direct us according to her wishes, rather than imposing our wishes on her. One day she was at the biokineticist and the person who took her there was filling in for her caregiver. She was having a conversation with the receptionist before going to another room but she was pushed on while in midconversation. No doubt we all sometimes wish a person talking to us could be whisked away, however, having this happen to her serves as a reminder of her dependence. Of course, it was unintentional but nevertheless thoughtless. Julia really enjoyed it when her sister, Lesley, related a comment made by a friend. Lesley had been pushing him around in Julia’s wheelchair. Needless to say, Julia was asleep at the time; if anyone plays with her wheelchair she
becomes highly incensed. We may find this petty but to her, they are her legs and not a plaything. The friend became a bit anxious, telling Lesley to slow down. He stood up and said, “I really feel for Julia
now. That was so scary! I had no control of where you were taking me and it was not a nice feeling.” Apart from being annoyed at this illicit use of her wheelchair, Julia felt really gratified to hear that someone had an inkling of what it is like for her.
Another thing that reminds her, not only of her disability, but of the way others perceive her is having to deal with officialdom whether this is in banks, hospitals or government. Recently she had to visit the Department of Social Development to apply for the new social grant card. Unfortunately this was an extremely humiliating experience. The officials only spoke to her caregiver, Selinah, and not to her. Furthermore, they spoke in Zulu. She does understand a smattering of Zulu but not enough to enter into the conversation. When she asked them to speak English, they mocked her. To add insult to injury, they complained about her difficulty in manoeuvring her fingers and thumbs for the prints
required. Clearly these people
need some education and training. I am happy to say that though these things do knock Julia, it never lasts and she soon bounces back. I also do not like to dwell on the negatives but I do think it is important that awareness is raised about the kinds of attitudes people with disabilities have to counter. On a lighter note, I sometimes question Julia regarding decisions she makes. I want to check she is thinking things through. So perhaps I am also guilty of underestimating her. She told me off the other day saying, “Mom, I’ll be
thirty in 4 years’ time – you’d better start trusting me!”
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Centres Manager for CREST and CWAC, Paula van Eeden attended the National Cerebral Palsy Conference, hosted by the Western Cape Cerebral Association as part of their 60th Anniversary Celebrations. The Conference kicked off with School visits on Monday morning. Paula had a marvellous time at her visit to Friends Day Centre, which is similar to CREST and CWAC.
School Leavers,
Seating Challenges and
Communication.
An exhibition of various supportive and communication devices, as well as specialised equipment was also held. ‘‘My sincere thanks to the KZN Cerebral Palsy Association for giving me the opportunity to attend this conference.’ Centres Manager, Paula van Eeden and Edith Makhaye, Principal of Reunion School at the Annual National Cerebral Palsy Conference
At the official opening, delegates were entertained by the brass band from the Filia School, and what an inspiration it was to see severely disabled kids play
Topics included:
Managing Growth in the Child with CP,
such beautiful music!
Feeding issues and approaches,
The sessions were in blocks of four, with each block related to one another in some way.
Drooling and the different procedures to help this,
ADHD, Inclusive Education,
Western Cape Cerebral Palsy Association did a fantastic job in organising and hosting the conference this year.
Congratulations on your 60th Birthday Celebrations WCCPA!