The 40th celebration of the Occupational Therapy (OT) department at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) was a joyous affair, connecting with alumni who have passed through the department and giving students the opportunity to interact with those who are practising in this profession.
Occupational therapists help people, such as those with disabilities, live independently and evaluate and treat people who have injuries, illnesses, or disabilities.
They help clients meet goals to develop, recover, improve, and maintain skills needed for daily living and working.
In a festive atmosphere, balloons lined the hallway on the first floor of the Faculty of the Community and Health Sciences campus in the Bellville CBD.
Various occupational therapy alumni were invited to speak to students as part of the anniversary celebration about their work in the field and explain how they assist patients.
Convenor of the session, Dr Aziza Kalam, who has dedicated the past 25 years to advancing education and research in her field, introduced a session, “Treating the Homeless with Dignity,” by the non-governmental organisation MES.
It works towards providing sustainable solutions to pervasive poverty in the inner cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Gqeberha, and it supports people living on the streets. Furthermore, UWC’s OT students were often placed at MES branches for fieldwork.
Former UWC academic Margaux Venter, who has been employed at MES full-time and who facilitated the talk, showed attendees displays representing simple artefacts telling of the life of the homeless: a Bible, a dismantled cardboard box that was a makeshift bed on top of another cardboard box, serving as a table, a four-pack of bread rolls and a takeaway coffee.
Attendees were invited to reflect on the meaning of these objects acquired by people who had lived on the street.
One of the representatives of MES, who was homeless before and is now a qualified frail care nurse, dedicated herself to serving others through counselling and looking out for the interests and welfare of the homeless.
She said that to a homeless person, a cardboard box is gold: it is furniture, a place to sleep, and a way to keep warm.
“When you have this item, you are rich. You can recycle it, and it is a way to get cash in your pocket,” said the woman who did not want to be named.
Venter spoke about restoring the dignity of the homeless.
“Society often views the homeless as objects, and they often carry labels like druggie, prostitute, criminal, and others,” she said.
“Empathy for another’s happiness and suffering depends fundamentally on recognising that the other has a mind that has the same capacities for thought, emotion, desire, intention, self-determination, and self-awareness as ours.
“Empathy for another’s happiness and suffering depends on recognising this truth. Our job is to create socially inclusive communities where they can adopt new relational identities or life roles, such as being friends, family members, and contributing members of society.”
Living proof is the MES representative who lost her home after a traumatic incident that tore her family apart and prompted them to leave their home. She told her heart-wrenching story of how their decision had them living in their car and on the streets.
“I lost my children, who were taken up in a children’s home, and my life was in ruins. Life on the street meant strain on my marriage and my husband leaving. But I am grateful to God for restoring my life. My children are back with me, I am working, but my marriage still suffers the consequences of a hard life on the streets,” she said.
Occupational therapist and 1995 alumna, Kashiefa Creighton, presented a talk on the activities of St Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care, a non-profit paediatric intermediate care facility providing post-acute palliative, restorative and rehabilitation care.
She said she was pleased to see the developments and beautiful new buildings, and congratulated the University on its progress in the last 40 years.
“I am grateful for the knowledge, skills and ethics we acquired while we studied at the occupational therapy department. It uniquely shaped who we are today and allowed us to work beyond the traditional boundaries of occupational therapy and to expand our service delivery to the betterment of our patients,” said Creighton.
First-year student Akhona Masuku said she gained new insights after the talks offered on the day.
“To me, it meant that I need to be aware not only of my immediate circumstances but also of the people around me. I realise that I must find a way to get others to help; not only homeless people.”
Masuku said she wanted to contribute her time to research to gain more knowledge and lend a helping hand in any way that she can.
LISTEN: Akhona Masuku discusses what stood out for her during the talks offered on the 40th celebration of the UWC Occupational Therapy department
LISTEN: MES representative Margaux Venter explains why MES joined the UWC Occupational Therapy department's 40th celebration
WATCH: Two UWC alumni's shares their experience about the Occupational Therapy department's 40th celebration
Occupational therapists help people, such as those with disabilities, live independently and evaluate and treat people who have injuries, illnesses, or disabilities.
They help clients meet goals to develop, recover, improve, and maintain skills needed for daily living and working.
In a festive atmosphere, balloons lined the hallway on the first floor of the Faculty of the Community and Health Sciences campus in the Bellville CBD.
Various occupational therapy alumni were invited to speak to students as part of the anniversary celebration about their work in the field and explain how they assist patients.
Convenor of the session, Dr Aziza Kalam, who has dedicated the past 25 years to advancing education and research in her field, introduced a session, “Treating the Homeless with Dignity,” by the non-governmental organisation MES.
It works towards providing sustainable solutions to pervasive poverty in the inner cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Gqeberha, and it supports people living on the streets. Furthermore, UWC’s OT students were often placed at MES branches for fieldwork.
Former UWC academic Margaux Venter, who has been employed at MES full-time and who facilitated the talk, showed attendees displays representing simple artefacts telling of the life of the homeless: a Bible, a dismantled cardboard box that was a makeshift bed on top of another cardboard box, serving as a table, a four-pack of bread rolls and a takeaway coffee.
Attendees were invited to reflect on the meaning of these objects acquired by people who had lived on the street.
One of the representatives of MES, who was homeless before and is now a qualified frail care nurse, dedicated herself to serving others through counselling and looking out for the interests and welfare of the homeless.
She said that to a homeless person, a cardboard box is gold: it is furniture, a place to sleep, and a way to keep warm.
“When you have this item, you are rich. You can recycle it, and it is a way to get cash in your pocket,” said the woman who did not want to be named.
Venter spoke about restoring the dignity of the homeless.
“Society often views the homeless as objects, and they often carry labels like druggie, prostitute, criminal, and others,” she said.
“Empathy for another’s happiness and suffering depends fundamentally on recognising that the other has a mind that has the same capacities for thought, emotion, desire, intention, self-determination, and self-awareness as ours.
“Empathy for another’s happiness and suffering depends on recognising this truth. Our job is to create socially inclusive communities where they can adopt new relational identities or life roles, such as being friends, family members, and contributing members of society.”
Living proof is the MES representative who lost her home after a traumatic incident that tore her family apart and prompted them to leave their home. She told her heart-wrenching story of how their decision had them living in their car and on the streets.
“I lost my children, who were taken up in a children’s home, and my life was in ruins. Life on the street meant strain on my marriage and my husband leaving. But I am grateful to God for restoring my life. My children are back with me, I am working, but my marriage still suffers the consequences of a hard life on the streets,” she said.
Occupational therapist and 1995 alumna, Kashiefa Creighton, presented a talk on the activities of St Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care, a non-profit paediatric intermediate care facility providing post-acute palliative, restorative and rehabilitation care.
She said she was pleased to see the developments and beautiful new buildings, and congratulated the University on its progress in the last 40 years.
“I am grateful for the knowledge, skills and ethics we acquired while we studied at the occupational therapy department. It uniquely shaped who we are today and allowed us to work beyond the traditional boundaries of occupational therapy and to expand our service delivery to the betterment of our patients,” said Creighton.
“To me, it meant that I need to be aware not only of my immediate circumstances but also of the people around me. I realise that I must find a way to get others to help; not only homeless people.”
Masuku said she wanted to contribute her time to research to gain more knowledge and lend a helping hand in any way that she can.
LISTEN: Akhona Masuku discusses what stood out for her during the talks offered on the 40th celebration of the UWC Occupational Therapy department
LISTEN: MES representative Margaux Venter explains why MES joined the UWC Occupational Therapy department's 40th celebration
WATCH: Two UWC alumni's shares their experience about the Occupational Therapy department's 40th celebration
