Article about container of bikes being shipped to Namibia

Reverend Maureen's original letter ---> Hannah, Occupational Therapist in Namibia

Dear Maureen,

May I thank you in the name of our Lord Jesus. I must admit am glad to hear from you directly as I was just wondering how we could get the opportunity to thank all those bothering themselves for our sake.

I have been working as an Occupational Therapist in Northern Namibia for the past ten years. I just have the passion to work with the rural community. This part of the country was previously neglected during the apartheid period. It is nevertheless catching up developmental wise but at a slow pace. The situation for people with disabilities and their relatives has been parthetic. I started with the usual hospital work but quickly realised that I could not cope up well without venturing into the community.

I therefore started training a few local people about simple community rehabilitation. We call the Community Based Rehab Volunteers (CBRVs). They receive simple rehab technics to offer and support family members of PWD. They do Identification and also refer. I normally visit them and update them with various issues. I used to cover a very large part of the country but luckly decentralization has helped me to concentrate on one region called Oshana. I just wish I could come and present my work to all those interested in helping us. Anyway currently am in charge of Oshana Rehabilitation services. I have formed a multidisplinary team that visits all our ten constituencies to offer services and information about rehab in the region. I will soon be doing a simple evaluation of this teamwork to assess the future.

As an OT you can imagine I cant do without recreation of PWD and to cater for this I started a Sports Club called Oshana Heroes Sports Clud for people with disabilities. The club has grown massively and now has a membership of 200 PWD.

As for the bics am sure you have been briefed how they will be used. To touch on this we intend to form an empowering project for PWD. A group has already been formed, a space found and am doing the mentoring about the beginning. We hope the first twenty Bics will go to the CBRVs, then the rest can be used to start a Bic Bussiness for people with disabilities. We have done some feasibility survey and are optimistic that PWD can supply the sorrounding community with easy and cheap transport including school going children.

The CBRVs have for long been complaining of long distances to reach a bigger number of people with disabilities. To be frank these volunteers do a great job without a single payment and yet they leave their own homes and chores to help those in dire need. So we hope this will be a form of motivation.

May I halt for now and chat more next time

Please pass my regards to all your congregation and collegues

May God bless you

Hannah

Dear Hannah

I am the Minister at St. Bartholomew's United Church, the church in Brampton, Ontario, Canada that has just sent off to you a shipping conatiner of bicycles. Apparently the ship is in Haifa now, so will be a bit before it arrives in Namibia.

I wanted to connect with you to say hello and encourage you to tell us a little about yourself and your work in Namibia. My first career was in Physiotherapy, so I do understand a little of your profession in Occupational Therapy. After many years in physio, working in Home Care, I entered theological school for ministry. Healing of body, mind and spirit.

I part of my internship for theology in Lesotho, so have some understanding of the needs in Africa for transportation.

I would love to hear about you and your work. I would also love to see pictures, if you can send them easily.

I have attached a picture of your container being loaded by part of our 'bike gang.' Unfortunately, I am not in the picture.

We have had a wonderful time collecting and packing these bikes, and our prayer is that you will be able to use them in ways that meet the needs of your people.
In love and hope,

maureen

Rev. Maureen MacLeod
St. Bartholomew's United Church
22 Abbey Road
Brampton ON
L6W 2T8
Canada

- maureen