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Hola
amigos!
Here it is – another long-awaited update from
your team at Equip KIDS International. We had another busy summer
this year. Following the great success of the conferences we hosted
in May, we took time to regroup and to once again direct our focus
on our other programs. These efforts began as we started to train a
new Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) therapist at
Hogar Clinica San Juan de Dios in Cusco (HCSJD - the pediatric
rehabilitation centre where we implemented our first pilot AAC
program). We would like to welcome Lorena to the team and to
congratulate her on her great efforts and achievements. Another new
member to our team is Emily Lauher, a recent graduate from Michigan
State University’s Communication Science program, Emily is
volunteering with us for 6 months, working with Lorena at the clinic
in the mornings and working in the community with children and their
families in the afternoons. With the addition of these new team
members and an additional 2 community volunteers, we have been able
to increase the number of students in our programs throughout the
season. We have begun a new Early Communicators group, for children
who are just beginning to learn communicative skills, and have
reached out to many other kids in the community. We also had a
special visit this summer from Mary Ann Berthiaume, an very
experienced speech-language pathologist from Jackson, Michigan. Mary
Ann visited us in Cusco for about a week, mentoring our AAC team and
helping them acquire new skills and knowledge.
Other events from the past few months include a
set of workshops about AAC and feeding that were organized and
presented by our team in conjunction with staff at HCSJD, as well as
our therapists’ (Jorge and Sandra) participation in the Disabled
Peoples International’s Latin American Regional Meeting and
Capacity Building Sessions. These sessions were attended by
organizations of and for people with disabilities from across Latin
American and dealt with issues including human rights, technology
and community-based rehabilitation. More recently, Jorge and Sandra
traveled to Arequipa, Peru to assist and speak at the First National
Conference on Special Education. There, they presented AAC topics to
special education teachers from around the country.
These last few months have also marked renewed
efforts in our production program, as our team and local volunteers
joined forces to produce some much needed assistive devices. By
experimenting with local materials, the group produced several new
items, such as toileting seats and adapted spoons, to be used by
children with physical disabilities at the local pediatric
rehabilitation hospital, as they learn to perform their daily
activities more independently.
And of course, the winter months promise to be
full of more excitement and growth. In early December, we will be
receiving another shipment of wheelchairs, walkers and other
assistive devices from Hope Haven International Ministries and we
are looking forward to distributing them to many needy children in
Cusco and beyond. What a wonderful Christmas gift a wheelchair will
make!
As always, we are continuing our fundraising
efforts, as we see a particular need at this time of year. We are
currently seeking funds to send 2 donated standers and a large
toileting seat from Canada to Peru. This equipment was generously
donated (at a value of approximately $5000) and is desperately
needed in Cusco. We are also continuing our efforts to acquire the
funds to hire a Peruvian physiotherapist to run our Production
program and to provide services for children who could not otherwise
afford them. And last but not least, we are requesting donations for
Cristian’s Fund, our newest program. Cristian’s Fund was
designed to build awareness and promote human rights for children
with disabilities in Peru. It was named for one of our star
students, Cristian Merma, who was murdered in May, 2003. The fund
will be used to create and assist parent support groups and
awareness/educational campaigns. So please, remember the children of
Peru at this special time of year and support us generously. You can
give the gift of mobility, communication, education and hope to a
child that rarely receives gifts of any kind.
One last special word of thanks; we would like to
offer our gratitude and a fond farewell to Emily Lauher, our super
volunteer, who dedicated 6 months of her life to supporting us and
helping children with disabilities in the Cusco, Peru. Emily’s
enthusiasm, patience and innovation were unmatched and her help was
invaluable. Thank-you Emily and best of luck in all your endeavors.
We will miss you.
Thank-you all for taking the time to share
in our successes and please let me know if you have any questions or
would like more information.
Until next time! Take care.
Dana Corfield
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Executive Director
Equip KIDS International
www.equipkids.org
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