TANZANIA VOLUNTEERS

9 new daycare centers have been established to Moshi and surrounding areas. These daycare centers are established by the Lutheran Church in Moshi. First the socialworkers of the church have made a survey in different areas to find out the amount of handicapped kids and the quality of their living conditions. After that they have chosen 5-7 handicapped kids to every center. Mostly these kids have living  with their mothers only and they have also tied the mother to home for the whole day. To get the kid to the daycare center has made it possible to these mothers to go to work and increase the familys incomes and wellbeing that way. In addition to taking care of these 5-7 kids in the centers Lutheran Church makes also homevisit to over 20 homes in every area. In home visits they give therapy to the kids, they teach the parents to give therapy and they follow the living conditions and wellbeing of these kids. 

When the kids arrive to the daycare center a physiotherapist and occupational therapist test the child to find out the quality of the disability. They also give instructions for rehabilitation to every child. The therapists do the same also for the kids who are at home. In the daycare centers the workers rehabilitate the kids according to the therapists instructions. They also teach the rehabilitation to the parents. Montessori method is used widely in these centers.

The kids arrive to the daycare centers at eight o’clock in the morning when the parents go to work. In the evening around four the parents come to pick the kids. During the day the kids eat breakfast and lunch. They play, do exercises, do their rehabilitation, go out and sleep. Many of these daycare centers are near other daycare center where there is healthy kids. The handicapped kids play daily with the healthy kids for integration.

In every daycare center there is two local workers. One is hired by the Lutheran Chuch and the other one is a local volunteer. Many of the workers have their own kid who is handicapped. Many of the kids need very much help in all the daily activities eg in eating and many of them use diapers. Thatswhy two workers per center is not enough. Help is needed very much in these placements. Because of the nature of these placements and the vulnerability of these handicapped kids the Lutheran Chuch wishes that the volunteers and interns could stay at least 3 months. This will give a little bit better stability to these kids lives and also it is important that the kids have time to learn to trust the people who are giving them the rehabilitation.

These daycare centers offer internship placements eg social sector or health care students and volunteering placements for everybody who wants to help handicapped kids and their families.

WE REALLY NEED PHYSIOTHERAPISTS, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS AND SPEECH THERAPISTS DESPERATELY!!!!